New treatment for contact lens eye infections
Anyone who suspects they may be infected should see a specialist, say ophthalmologists
A NEW treatment for eye infections associated with improper use of contact lenses and poor hygiene is now being offered to people by public hospitals in the Valencia region.
This treatment consists of a single dose of an antimicrobial agent, polihexanide 0.08%, against a parasitic ocular infection which, although infrequent, can cause visual impairment or even blindness if not treated in time, according to a regional health department spokesman.
The polyhexanide in this concentration has already been successfully applied to 17 patients at hospitals in the region, including eight at La Fé in Valencia, four at the city’s clinical hospital, one at Gandía, three at Alicante general, and one complex case which affected both eyes at Sant Joan de Alacant.
Acanthamoeba is an amoeba present in nature which in some people can
cause damage through keratitis.
The incidence of Acanthamoeba
keratitis has increased in recent years due
nd to increasing numbers of people who use contact lenses, improper disinfection of these, activities in the open air and use of lenses in spas or swimming pools, said the spokesman.
Symptoms can include ocular pain, redness of the eye, and blurred or loss of vision, said La Fé ophthalmologist Ana Hervás.
“Measures which should be adopted to prevent this infection consist of using lenses properly and disinfecting them correctly, as well as avoiding their use in pools or spas,” she explained.
Her colleague Enrique España advised that anyone who suspects they may be infected should see a specialist, who would make a diagnosis from cultures and PCR techniques – and then carry out treatment.
Following clinical trials to accredit its safety and efficacy, polyhexanide 0.08% single-dose eyedrops can now be acquired by regional health service hospital pharmacy services from the Spanish agency for medications (AEMPS).