The effect of therapeutic soft contact lenses on antibiotic delivery to the cornea.

The effects of high (71%) and low (38.6%) water content lenses on antibiotic delivery to the cornea were studied in rabbits by measuring corneal tobramycin concentrations 1, 2, 4 and 6 hours after topical application at intervals of 15 minutes. In the presence of the low water content lens corneal drug levels were higher than in control corneas for every time point assayed. This difference was only significant at 4 hours (P less than 0.05). In eyes wearing the high water content contact lens corneal drug concentration was also higher at every time point tested except one hour. The difference was significant only at 4 hours (P less than 0.01). The data suggest that in the normal, noninflammed eye, the presence of a therapeutic soft contact lens will not compromise aminoglycoside delivery to the cornea.