Third- and fourth-generation fluoroquinolones: retrospective comparison of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery performed over 10 years.

Purpose: To determine differences in endophthalmitis rates with prophylactic use of third- versus fourth-generation fluoroquinolones in cataract surgery.

Setting: University hospitals.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional (prevalence) study looked at patients who had phacoemulsification at a university eye center over a 10-year period. A nosocomial infectious reporting database was used to report endophthalmitis occurrences. The following were performed: a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data to establish endophthalmitis rates, a prevalence analysis of the postoperative quinolone antibiotic prescribed, and a comparative analysis of endophthalmitis rate versus postoperative quinolone prescribed for all reported endophthalmitis cases. The main outcome measure was occurrence of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

Results: From January 1997 to December 2007, 29276 patients had phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Forty cases of postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis were reported. The endophthalmitis rate from January 1997 to August 2003 associated with use of third-generation fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin) was 0.197% (33/16710). The rate from September 2003 to December 2007 associated with fourth-generation fluoroquinolones (gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin) was 0.056% (7/12566). The difference between third- and fourth-generation drugs was statistically significant (P = .0011). Of fourth-generation fluoroquinolone infections, 0.015% (1/6651) and 0.1% (6/5915) were associated with gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin, respectively. The difference between drugs was statistically significant (P = .040).

Conclusions: The differences in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of quinolone antibiotics may affect the endophthalmitis incidence after cataract surgery. The significant difference in endophthalmitis rates between gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin requires further study.