How is toxic conjunctivitis (pink eye) treated?
Long-term usage of eye drops with preservatives in a patient with conjunctival irritation and discharge points to the toxic conjunctivitis as the underlying etiology. Effective management of conjunctivitis includes timely diagnosis, appropriate differentiation of the various etiologies, and appropriate treatment.
What is toxic keratoconjunctivitis (TK)?
Toxic keratoconjunctivitis or Toxic conjunctivitis may result from topical preparations for the treatment of ophthalmic conditions. Topical ophthalmic preparations can confuse the diagnosis of toxic keratoconjunctivitis.
What are the causes of conjunctivitis?
Irritation from a chemical splash or foreign object in your eye is also associated with conjunctivitis. Sometimes flushing and cleaning the eye to rid it of the chemical or object causes redness and irritation.
What are the signs and symptoms of infectious conjunctivitis?
Some of the clinical signs and symptoms that are used to help diagnose infectious conjunctivitis include the following: eye discharge, conjunctival injection, presence of red eye (s), eyelashes being stuck together in the morning, grittiness of the eye (s), eyelid or conjunctival edema, and history of contact with individuals with conjunctivitis.
What is toxic keratoconjunctivitis?
Toxic keratoconjunctivitis may be produced due to damage of ocular tissues by an agent, usually an ocular drug or a preservative. Allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed type IV hypersensitivity reaction to a particular allergen.
What are the main ocular allergies?
Main ocular allergic diseases under chronic allergic conjunctivitis (CAC) are viz. seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC), vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), atopic keratoconjunctivitis and, to a certain extent, giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC). Contact dermatitis is due to exogenous factors and it may be produced by irritant or is allergic in nature. Irritant contact dermatitis, such as toxic reaction to eye-drops, is caused by direct damage. Toxic keratoconjunctivitis may be produced due to damage of ocular tissues by an agent, usually an ocular drug or a preservative. Allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed type IV hypersensitivity reaction to a particular allergen.
What dye is used to identify corneal lesions?
Diagnosis requires examination under slit-lamp (bio-microscopy) by an eye specialist. Staining of cornea and conjunctiva with fluorescein sodium and rose Bengal dye may be required to identify the lesions.
What is the cause of type I hypersensitivity?
Type I hypersensitivity: Allergic reactions due to type I hypersensitivity are triggered by the union of allergen and initiation of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) - mast cell axis, leading to de-granulation and release of inflammatory mediators.
How long does it take for a toxic reaction to occur?
Most common toxic reaction is toxic papillary keratoconjunctivitis, which occurs due to repeated use of irritating medicine. The effect usually develops two weeks after exposure to the drug and may lead to a decreased compliance by patient.
Why are some preparations toxic?
Some preparations are directly toxic due to change in pH, osmolarity of solution, or due to photosensitisation. Direct toxic effects usually occur after the first contact and appear after a threshold is reached. The cellular reaction may reflect the direct effect due to. Active compound. Accompanying preservative.
Which aminoglycosides are toxic?
Amino-glycosides, such as gentamicin and tobramycin can produce conjunctival and corneal hypersensitivity, pruritus and hyperaemia. Toxic effects of topical fluoroquinolones, even of the first generations, are less common than those produced by amino-glycosides.
Synopsis
Toxic conjunctivitis due to topical medication use is a common problem. Toxicity can be secondary to the medication itself (as seen in Viroptic toxicity) or due to the preservative in multidose dropper vials. One of the more common preservatives used in ophthalmic preparations, benzalkonium chloride, is known to be toxic to the corneal epithelium.
Drug Reaction Data
Below is a list of drugs with literature evidence indicating an adverse association with this diagnosis. The list is continually updated through ongoing research and new medication approvals. Click on Citations to sort by number of citations or click on Medication to sort the medications alphabetically.
What is the risk of conjunctivitis?
Contact with contaminated fingers, fomites or oculo-genital contact with someone infected. Young, sexually active adults below the age of 25 years, have a high risk, especially if they do not use condoms on sexual encounters. Compromised tear production or drainage.
What is the disease of the conjunctiva?
Disease. Inflammation of the conjunctiva is known as conjunctivitis and is characterized by dilation of the conjunctival vessels, resulting in hyperemia and edema of the conjunctiva, typically with associated discharge. The prevalence of conjunctivitis varies according to the underlying cause, which may be influenced by the patient’s age, ...
What is the term for inflammation of the conjunctiva?
Inflammation of the conjunctiva is known as conjunctivitis and is characterized by dilation of the conjunctival vessels, resulting in hyperemia and edema of the conjunctiva, typically with associated discharge.
What is the most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis in the adult population?
Viral: the most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis in the adult population (80%) and is more prevalent in the summer. Acute viral follicular conjunctivitis. Chronic viral follicular conjunctivitis. Viral blepharoconjunctivitis.
How long does conjunctivitis last?
pneumoniae , and Moraxella catarrhalis. The most common pathogens for bacterial conjunctivitis in adults are Staphylococcal species, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. The course of the disease usually lasts 7-10 days.
How long does it take for adenoviral conjunctivitis to spread?
Incubation and communicability are estimated to be 5-12 days and 10-14 days , respectively.
How long does Chlamydia trachomatis last?
The course of the disease usually lasts 7-10 days. Hyperacute bacterial conjunctivitis is often caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae. When the infection does not respond to standard antibiotic therapy in sexually active patients, Chlamydia trachomatis should be suspected.
