@article {Sakamotobjophthalmol-2022-321357, author = {Taiji Sakamoto and Hiroto Terasaki and Toshifumi Yamashita and Hideki Shiihara and Ryoh Funatsu and Akinori Uemura}, editor = {, and , and Kitano, Shigehiko and Ishikawa, Kunihiro and Ikeda, Yasuhiro and Sugita, Naohiro and Mawatari, Go and Enaida, Hiroshi and Yamamoto, Soichiro and Kobayashi, Yoshiyuki and Sakamoto, Taiji and Yamashita, Toshifumi and Terasaki, Hiroto and Funatsu, Ryoh and Shiihara, Hideki and Sonoda, Koh-Hei and Takeda, Atsunobu and Ishikawa, Keijiro and Notomi, Shoji and Yamaguchi, Muneo and Nakatake, Shunji and Koizumi, Hideki and Yamauchi, Yukihide and Terao, Nobuhiro and Imanaga, Naoya and Sawaguchi, Shota and Ishida, Susumu and Ando, Ryo and Kijima, Riki and Gomi, Fumi and Araki, Takashi and Doi, Norihito and Mizushima, Takashi and Fujiwara, Yuko and Miyake, Shoki and Mizushima, Yuka and Kato, Kihoko and Suzuma, Kiyoshi and Nakano, Yuki and Osaka, Rie and Uemura, Akinori and Yamakiri, Keita and Yoshida, Shigeo and Kato, Nobuhiro and Furushima, Kei and Kondo, Mineo and Kato, Kumiko and Ogata, Nahoko and Ueda, Tetsuo and Mizusawa, Yuutaro and Jimura, Hironobu and Takeuchi, Masaru and Kanda, Takayuki and Sato, Tomohito and Kusaka, Shunji and Iwahashi, Chiharu and Yamao, Sayaka and Maeno, Takatoshi and Masahara, Hidetaka and Murata, Toshinori and Hirano, Takao and Ohji, Masahito and Sawada, Tomoko and Ozawa, Yoko and Nagai, Norihiro and Takagi, Hitoshi and Jujo, Tatsuya and Shimura, Masahiko and Asakage, Masaki and Yasuda, Kanako and Iida, Tomohiro and Maruko, Ichiro and Hasegawa, Taiji and Ohnami, Atsushi and Kodama, Yukari and Tabuchi, Hitoshi and Nagasato, Daisuke and Kadonosono, Kazuaki and Maruyama-Inoue, Maiko and Tanaka, Shin and Tsujikawa, Akitaka and Suda, Kenji and Yasukawa, Tsutomu and Kato, Aki and Kusuhara, Sentaro and Kurimoto, Yasuo and Hirami, Yasuhiko and Takahashi, Masayo and Inoue, Makoto and Hirakata, Akito and Koto, Takashi and Hirota, Kazunari and Ishida, Tomoka and Ando, Yoshimasa and Mizuno, Masaharu and Takahashi, Aya and Mitamura, Yoshinori}, title = {Increased incidence of endophthalmitis after vitrectomy relative to face mask wearing during COVID-19 pandemic}, elocation-id = {bjophthalmol-2022-321357}, year = {2022}, doi = {10.1136/bjophthalmol-2022-321357}, publisher = {BMJ Publishing Group Ltd}, abstract = {Background/aims To determine the incidence and causative pathogens of endophthalmitis after vitrectomy during strict face mask wearing in the COVID-19 period.Methods This was a retrospective multicentre study including 31 ophthalmological institutions of the Japanese Retina and Vitreous Society or Japan-Clinical Retina Study group. Patients who had undergone vitrectomy during 2019, the pre-COVID-19 period, and from July 2020 to June 2021, the COVID-mask period, were studied. The results of cataract surgery were used as a control. The total number of vitrectomies and the total number of postoperative endophthalmitis were determined. Then, the differences in the incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis between the pre-COVID-19 period and the COVID-mask period, and the type of pathogens causing the endophthalmitis were studied.Results The incidence of postvitrectomy endophthalmitis was significantly lower in the pre-COVID-19 period with 16 568 surgeries and 18 endophthalmitis cases (0.11\%) than in the COVID-mask period of 14 929 surgeries and 31 endophthalmitis cases (0.21\%; p=0.031, OR=1.913, 95\% CI 1.078 to 3.394). In the pre-COVID-19 period, 4 of the 18 eyes were culture positive, and all were of the Staphylococcus family. In the COVID-mask period, 9 of the 31 eyes were culture positive, and 4 cases were related to oral commensals including Streptococcus spp, which are reportedly very rare in endophthalmitis after vitrectomy.Conclusions It is necessary for physicians to be aware of the higher incidence of postvitrectomy endophthalmitis during the COVID-mask period, and to treat their patients appropriately.Data are available upon reasonable request.}, issn = {0007-1161}, URL = {https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/30/bjophthalmol-2022-321357}, eprint = {https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2022/06/30/bjophthalmol-2022-321357.full.pdf}, journal = {British Journal of Ophthalmology} }