A PROSPECTIVE, MASKED CLINICAL-TRIAL OF TRIFLUORIDINE, DEXAMETHASONE,AND ARTIFICIAL TEARS IN THE TREATMENT OF EPIDEMIC KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS

Epidemics of viral conjunctivitis are a major public health problem in the Far East. No treatment has been shown to shorten the duration of illness. We studied the clinical course of epidemic keratoconjunctivit is in 74 patients during an outbreak of nearly 3,000 cases in late 198 8 at a U.S. military base in the Philippines. Patients were randomly a ssigned to treatment with trifluridine, dexamethasone, or artificial t ears, and examined in a double-masked fashion. There was no significan t difference between the results of the three treatments. No bacterial cultures were positive. The prompt use of patient isolation, identifi cation of nonadenoviral red eyes, and symptomatic treatment without st eroids, antiviral, or antibiotic medication is recommended in cases of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. This is the largest series of cases of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis with laboratory confirmation reported f rom the Philippines.