CORNEAL TISSUE-LEVELS OF TOPICALLY APPLIED OFLOXACIN

Purpose: To evaluate the levels of ofloxacin (Ocuflox(R)) in human cor neal tissue in patients exposed to various dosing regimens and applica tion methods. Setting: Corneal Consultants of Indiana, Indianapolis, I ndiana, USA. Methods: Forty patients meeting inclusion criteria were r ecruited from persons scheduled to have penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) . Patients were placed into one of two study groups of 20 each based o n dosing regimen and application method. The SAS GLM (General Linear M odels) procedure was used to test for differences in mean Ocuflox tiss ue concentration among study groups and for interaction effects of pre operative diagnosis, trephine size, dosing regimen, and corneal integr ity. Results: Corneal tissue concentrations of Ocuflox were elevated s ignificantly by varying drug application methods and dosing schedules before PKP. Eyes receiving medication every 15 minutes for 4 hours had significantly higher levels of Ocuflox than those receiving the drug in six doses over 24 hours before surgery. Ocuflox concentrations exce eded the MIC90 (minimum inhibitory concentration) for key ocular patho gens in essentially all cornea specimens studied. Conclusion: Ocuflox penetration was improved by administering it in a controlled setting a t 15 minute intervals over 4 hours. The drug provided high tissue leve ls in both the cornea and aqueous humor, which together with its broad range of antibacterial coverage, should make it a good choice for pro phylactic treatment.