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Conjunctivitis - infective - Management
How do I determine the cause of infective conjunctivitis that persists longer than 2 weeks?
- Reassess the diagnosis — see Diagnosing infective conjunctivitis.
- Assess features suggestive of blepharitis. If present, see the CKS topic on Blepharitis. Features include:
- Swollen eyelids: the defining sign of staphylococcal blepharitis, but unusual when it is less severe.
- Inflamed lid margins: usually present.
- Altered eyelash appearance: including misdirection, crusting, and eyelash loss.
- Altered eyelid surfaces: may be scaly, oily, or greasy. Ulceration of the anterior lid indicates infection.
- Take swabs for bacteria and chlamydia.
- Consider prescribing a topical ocular antibiotic while awaiting results of swabs.
In depth
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