Treatment of Diseases of the Conjunctiva

Abstract

Systemic administration of drugs is unnecessary when treating diseases of the conjunctiva; these are best instilled in soluble form into the conjunctival sac to achieve a therapeutic concentration. The efficacy of eye drops is determined by their duration of action, which depends primarily on the intrinsic properties of the dissolved drug and on the basal rate of tear secretion. The flow is higher in young people who therefore need drops instilled more frequently. Any drug which penetrates the conjunctival epithelium is immediately carried away in the blood vessels.A bottle of eye drops once opened, sooner or later" becomes contaminated. Therefore, single dose containers of all drugs used in ophthalmology should be available. The plastic multi-dose bottles of eye drops at present in use should be discarded a month after opening. Both used and unopened bottles should be thrown away after the expiry date marked on them. Patients should be warned not to contaminate the dropper nozzle. There is less risk of this if the drop is instilled when lying down. In cold climates, particularly when treating children, the drops should be warmed to body temperature.Intensive treatment is best and patients who instill drops frequently are surprised by the quick cure. Treatment should cease 48 hours after the condition seems better. Failure to give this advice results in the unnecessary referral of many patients, in whom instructions to stop all local treatment often results in the rapid relief of the remaining complaints.

Oxatomide Effects in Follicular Conjunctivitis of Presumed Allergic Cause

“…Good results are often obtained with topical ster oids but this therapy is at risk of inducing open-angle glaucoma after a few weeks ap plication and may precipitate the growth of herpes simplex virus [2], Oxatomide does not induce these or other major side-effects whilst the therapeutic results are very en couraging: rapid improvement or even com plete disappearance of itching and follicles in 78% of the patients. These observations may also find their counterpart in the fact that a favorable effect of oxatomide was al ready found on the symptoms of conjuncti vitis in patients with hay fever [3], It may be concluded that our experience enlarges the evidence from other studies [3,[5][6][7][8] of oxatomide being an allround antial lergic agent.…”