SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF LOTEPREDNOL ETABONATE 0.5% VERSUS PREDNISOLONE ACETATE 1% FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN AND INFLAMMATION AFTER CATARACT SURGERY- A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
G. Guru*, Dr. B. Arul*, Dr. B. Jayaprakash, Neenu Mary Mathew, Neha Mary Dilson, Nomy P. Benny
ABSTRACT
Cataract is one of the major health care problem faced by old aged
people. It is responsible for 50% of blindness in the world, the overall
prevalence rate varies from 1% to 4% of the population and 300,000
cataract surgeries are performed every year. Cataract surgery is usually
a very effective and safe procedure, but a severe post-operative
inflammation can be vision threatening. Corticosteroids are the first
line drugs for the treatment of pain and inflammation after cataract
surgery. This can lead to fluctuation in Intraocular pressure. Few
randomized, controlled studies are available on the comparative safety
and efficacy of common topical corticosteroids in the treatment of
post-operative ocular inflammation. Newer corticosteroids that the
retro-metabolically designed corticosteroid, Loteprednol Etabonate, offer similar antiinflammatory
efficacy to older corticosteroids like prednisolone acetate with less effect on
Intraocular pressure. Loteprednol Etabonate, a novel C-20 ester-based corticosteroid, was
retrometabolically designed to offer potent anti-inflammatory efficacy but with decreased
impact on Intraocular pressure. The proportion of patients exhibiting an increase of C10
mmHg Intraocular pressure in clinical studies has emerged as the most clinically relevant
parameter for ophthalmologists to consider when deciding on which topical corticosteroid to
use.
Keywords: Cataract surgery, Intraocular pressure, Topical corticosteroids, Loteprednol Etabonate, Prednisolone Acetate, Post-operative pain and inflammation.
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