Clinical review reveals persistent topical antibiotic prophylaxis after intravitreal injections despite zero efficacy, highlighting the need to align practice with evidence.
Intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections are among the most frequently performed procedures in modern medicine, with millions administered annually worldwide. Although post-injection infectious endophthalmitis is a devastating complication, its incidence remains exceptionally low (approximately 0.02–0.05%). Nevertheless, topical antibiotics continue to be prescribed routinely by many clinicians despite an overwhelming body of evidence demonstrating no protective benefit. This disconnect raises an important question: why do we continue prescribing a treatment that appears ineffective, costly, and potentially harmful?
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Hashem Abu Serhan (2026) studied this question.
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