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Recommendations for Care
Î Infected individuals should be counseled to wash hands frequently and
use separate towels, and to avoid close contact with others during the
period of contagion. (II++, G, S)
Î Surfaces should be disinfected with an Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA)-registered hospital disinfectant in accordance with the
label's use directions and safety precautions. (II+, G, S)
Î Indiscriminate use of topical antibiotics or corticosteroids should be
avoided. (III, G, S)
Î The choice of topical antibiotic agent for treatment of bacterial
conjunctivitis is empiric. (III, I, D)
Provider and Setting
Î Patients with conjunctivitis who are evaluated by non-ophthalmologist
health care providers should be referred promptly to the
ophthalmologist when visual loss, moderate or severe pain, severe,
purulent discharge, corneal involvement, conjunctival scarring, lack of
response to therapy, recurrent episodes, history of herpes simplex virus
(HSV) eye disease, or history of immunocompromise occur. (III, I, D)
Î A majority of patients with conjunctivitis can be treated effectively in
an outpatient setting. (III, I, D)
Management
Î Individuals can protect against some chemical and toxin exposures by
using adequate eye protection. (III, G, S)
Î Contact lens wearers can be instructed in appropriate lens care and
frequent lens replacement to reduce the risk or severity of giant
papillary conjunctivitis (GPC). (III, G, S)
Î Infectious conjunctivitis in neonates can be prevented by prenatal
screening and treatment of the expectant mother and by prophylactic
treatment of the infant at birth. (III, M, S)
Î Single-use tubes of ophthalmic ointment containing 0.5%
erythromycin is used as the standard prophylactic agent to prevent
ophthalmia neonatorum. (II++, I, D)
Î Povidone-iodine solution 2.5% may be less effective and more toxic to
the ocular surface. (I+, M, D)
Î The use of a 7-day course of antibiotics has been shown to eradicate
bacteria within 5 days. (III, G, S)
Management
