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Differences in the incidence of aflibercept-related sterile endophthalmitis according to types of disposable syringes used

  • Retinal Disorders
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the difference between the incidences of sterile endophthalmitis after administration of intravitreal aflibercept injection using two different types of syringes.

Methods

We administered a total of 498 intravitreal aflibercept injections between September 2017 and August 2021. The disposable syringe used was changed from a 1-mL disposable syringe (Profi syringe, Shinchang Medical., Ltd. Korea) to a 1-mL Becton Dickenson Luer-Lok syringe (BD, Franklin, NJ, USA) in September 2019. Thus, the patients who received injections before and after September 1, 2019, were classified into group 1 and group 2, respectively. The incidence of aflibercept-related sterile endophthalmitis between the two groups was compared.

Results

In group 1, six (2.791%) out of 215 cases were diagnosed with sterile endophthalmitis and prescribed topical or oral steroids. In group 2, one (0.353%) out of 283 cases was diagnosed with sterile endophthalmitis and prescribed a steroid eye drop. The incidence of sterile endophthalmitis was significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.046).

Conclusion

The BD Luer-Lok syringe is associated with a lower incidence of aflibercept-related sterile endophthalmitis than the conventional polypropylene syringe. Differences in immunogenicity associated with silicone oil lubricants within the syringes might be one of the potential reasons behind the difference in the incidence of the sterile endophthalmitis.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning (NRF-2020R1F1A1072226). These funding sources had no role in the study design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; or writing of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, 102 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, #06974

    Minjeong Kim & Jee Taek Kim

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  1. Minjeong Kim
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Correspondence to Jee Taek Kim.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration.

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The need for informed consent was waived owing to the retrospective study design.

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Kim, M., Kim, J.T. Differences in the incidence of aflibercept-related sterile endophthalmitis according to types of disposable syringes used. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 260, 1139–1145 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-021-05454-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-021-05454-z

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