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Corneal superficial injury - Management
What issues should I consider before prescribing ocular chloramphenicol?
- Contact lenses should not be worn during treatment.
- Prescribe preservative-free chloramphenicol eye drops if the person cannot avoid wearing contact lenses (some preservatives such as benzalkonium chloride accumulate in soft contact lenses and cause irritation).
- Do not prescribe eye ointment if contact lenses are worn.
- Do not use topical chloramphenicol:
- For people who have experienced myelosuppression during previous exposure to chloramphenicol.
- For people who have a blood dyscrasia, or who have a family history of blood dyscrasias.
- Concurrently with other myelotoxic drugs.
- For prolonged periods, since it may increase the likelihood of sensitization and resistance.
- Aplastic anaemia and bone marrow depression is extremely rare, and concerns about the increased risk of this adverse effect have not been proven.
[ABPI Medicines Compendium, 2007a; ABPI Medicines Compendium, 2007b; BNF 54, 2007; ABPI Medicines Compendium, 2008]
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