Modified Treatment For Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis

Abstract

disease spontaneously resolve within 1-3 weeks without significant complications, but in 20-50% of cases corneal infiltrates can persist for some or even Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study to compare between the modi- fied and the ordinary method of treatment for EKC. Study Design: Prospective randomized clinical study. Methods: Three hundred fifty patients of EKC were enrolled in a prospective interventional study. The diagnosis was made by clinical picture and laboratory investigations. Group 1 had two hundred patients 120 males, 80 females (age from 18 to 60 years old) were treated by the modified method (Povidone Iodine 5% eye irrigation) and group 2 had one hundred fifty patients 100 males, 50 females (age from 18 to 58 years old) were treated with the ordinary method (normal saline eye wash). Patients were followed for 3 months up to 2 years. The main outcomes were improvement in clinical picture and recovery. Results: Ocular symptoms and signs were improved with clinical significant better results for group 1 than group 2. One hundred eighty patients (90%) of group 1 had spontaneous recovery, 14 pa tients (7%) had recovery after use of topical steroids, and 6 patients (3%) had recovery with subepithelial corneal infiltrates. Ninety pa tients (60%) of group 2 had spontaneous recovery, 15 patients (10%) had recovery after use of topical steroids, and 45 patients (30 %) had recovery with subepithelial corneal infiltrates. Conclusion: The modified method of treatment had significantly better results than the ordinary one regarding to ocular symptoms and signs improvement as well as patients recovery ( P < 0. 001). in roidal anti-inflammatory and topical corticosteroids