What is the most common cause of viral conjunctivitis?
Adenovirus conjunctivitis is the most common cause of viral conjunctivitis and may account for up to 20 percent of infectious conjunctivitis. Outbreaks of adenoviral conjunctivitis have been linked to contaminated equipment in ophthalmology clinics and to swimming pools. Why is there a need to distinguish viral from bacterial conjunctivitis? Viral and other non-purulent types of conjunctivitis do not require treatment with antibiotics. Often these children are treated mistakenly for prolonged periods of time with both topical and systemic antibiotics with persistence of the red eye. In some situations the topical antibiotic itself may cause an allergic reaction resulting in a persistent red eye. What is the treatment of choice for acute bacterial conjunctivitis? Acute bacterial conjunctivitis is a self-limited condition. However, the use of antibiotic treatment is recommended because it hastens healing considerably and it eradicates the bacterial pathogen allowing children to return to
