Comparative intravitreal antibiotic therapy for experimental Enterococcus faecalis endophthalmitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the most effective intravitreal antibiotic treatment of vancomycin-sensitive and -resistant Enterococcus faecalis endophthalmitis.

DESIGN: Animal experiment.

SETTING: Seventy-eight New Zealand white rabbits received an intravitreal injection of 10(5) vancomycin-sensitive or -resistant E faecalis organisms in one eye. Infections were allowed to proceed 3 hours before dividing animals randomly into the following treatment groups (n = 6, each): the vancomycin-sensitive E faecalis model--(1) vancomycin (1 mg/0.1 mL), (2) combined vancomycin (1 mg/0.1 mL) and amikacin (0.4 mg/0.1 mL), (3) combined vancomycin (1 mg/0.1 mL) and gentamicin (0.1 mg/0.1 mL), (4) combined vancomycin (1 mg/0.1 mL) and ceftazidime (2 mg/0.1 mL), (5) combined ampicillin (5 mg/0.1 mL) and gentamicin (0.1 mg/0.1 mL), and (6) pristinamycin (1 mg/0.1 mL); and the vancomycin-resistant E faecalis model--(1)same as above, excluding group 4. Control groups received sterile balanced salt solution. Twenty-four hours following intravitreal treatment, vitreous humor was collected for quantitative bacteriological studies.

RESULTS: Intravitreal therapy with combined vancomycin and amikacin provided the most effective reduction of vancomycin-sensitive E faecalis organisms compared with combined vancomycin and gentamicin therapy (P =.10, Wilcoxon's rank sum test) or any other treatment group (P < .01, Wilcoxon's rank sum test). For vancomycin-resistant E faecalis endophthalmitis model, the combined ampicillin and gentamicin therapy was the most effective, followed by the combined vancomycin and amikacin therapy (P < .01, Wilcoxon's rank sum test).

CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with intravitreal vancomycin plus amikacin and with intravitreal ampicillin plus gentamicin provide an effective bactericidal therapy for severe experimental vancomycin-sensitive and -resistant E faecalis endophthalmitis, respectively.