[A review of safety and efficacy of levofloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution in the treatment of external ocular infections and in prophylaxis of postoperative endophthalmitis].

Levofloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution is a fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent with a broad spectrum of activity against Gram positive and negative bacteria. For those reasons it is highly effective in treating common external infections of the eye including blepharitis, conjunctivitis, keratitis. In terms of microbial eradication and clinical cure rate it is significantly more effective than ofloxacin 0.3% ophthalmic solution, and non inferior to moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution. After topical administration of levofloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution it achieves concentration exceeding MIC90 for most clinically relevant pathogenes in tears, conjunctiva, cornea as well as anterior chamber. Thus it can be used in prophylaxis in patients undergoing ocular surgery. Because of its postantibiotic effect and high concentration in tears three times daily regimen is as effective as most frequent administration in patients with conjunctivitis, which leads to better compliance. Despite the wide use of topical and systemic levofloxacin, most common ocular pathogens remain clinically susceptible. Topical levofloxacin is well tolerated, it rarely causes systemic or ocular adverse events with the majority of treatment-related adverse effects being of mild to moderate severity. It also does not effect the wound healing.