Outpatient treatment of microbial corneal ulcers
L. R. Groden and J. H. Brinser
Outpatient and inpatient management of culture-proved microbial corneal
ulcers was evaluated. Twenty-six consecutive patients were reviewed. Twenty
had been managed as outpatients, six as inpatients. All ulcers were treated
with intensive topical antimicrobial therapy, and all steadily healed, as
evidenced by epithelialization and resolution of infiltrate. None
progressed to extreme stromal thinning, descemetocele, or perforation.
Inpatients and outpatients did not differ in terms of healing time,
although this can vary considerably for the same causative organism.
Complete epithelialization took two to 56 days. Pseudomonas ulcers healed
in seven to 42 days (mean, 22 days), which is similar to previously
published reports of inpatient therapy. This study suggests that with
careful patient selection and follow-up, infectious corneal ulcers can be
successfully managed on an outpatient basis.
