Differential Aqueous and Vitreous Concentrations of Moxifloxacin and Ofloxacin After Topical Administration One Hour before Vitrectomy

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the penetration of ofloxacin and moxifloxacin into the aqueous and vitreous after topical administration one hour before vitrectomy surgery. Design: Prospective, randomized, double-blind case series study. Methods: Twenty-seven patients undergoing vitrectomy were randomized to receive either topical ofloxacin 0.3% or moxifloxacin 0.5% every 10 minutes for one hour before surgery. Aqueous and vitreous samples were obtained and analyzed using high-performance liquidation chromatography. Results: The moxifloxacin aqueous (1.576 ± 0.745 μg/ml) and vitreous (0.225 ± 0.013 μg/ml) levels were significantly higher than the ofloxacin aqueous (0.816 ± 0.504 μg/ml) (P = .0009) and vitreous (0.225 ± 0.013 μg/ml) [P = .0054] levels, respectively. The mean moxifloxacin aqueous and vitreous levels exceeded the minimum inhibitory concentration for 90% of isolates (MIC 90) for a wide variety of bacteria implicated in endophthalmitis. In contrast, the aqueous level of ofloxacin exceeded the MIC 90 of only a few organisms. Conclusions: Moxifloxacin applied every 10 minutes during the hour before vitrectomy penetrated the eye significantly better than ofloxacin. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.