Silver nitrate ophthalmic solution and chemical conjunctivities.

The current status of nursery routines of prophylaxis against ophthalmia neonatorum were surveyed by mail questionnaire to 100 leading maternity hospitals. More than 20% of the respondents were not using silver nitrate, mainly because of chemical conjunctivitis. The clinical significance and incidence of chemical conjunctivitis were studied in 1,000 newborns whose eyes were handled differently. Rinsing after instillation of silver nitrate does not reduce the conjunctival irritation. Although 90% of the infants had conjunctivitis in the first hours of life, the majority cleared within 24 hours. Chemical conjunctivitis did not increase secondary infection, neither did it mask bacterial infection. Silver nitrate is effective in vitro against Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Staphylococcus aureus in a concentration of 0.1% and against Escherichia coli in a concentration of 0.01%.