Acute infective conjunctivitis in children may be caused by a number of conditions, including both bacteria and viruses. It is defined as infection lasting less than three weeks, although doctors often use two weeks as a cut off between acute and chronic disease. Bacteria that may cause infection include streptococcus species, as well as chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
CONJUNCTIVITIS
Simple conjunctivitis affects one or both eyes and causes the affected eye to be sticky with pus. The child is normally well in himself or herself. General measures such as regular cleaning with water and adhering to strict hygiene practices is often all that is required to treat the condition. Given that simple conjunctivitis normally resolves within one to two weeks without the need for antibiotic drops, and medical research shows antibiotics make little difference, doctors often do not prescribe antibiotics. In addition, around one in ten patients have a reaction to antibiotic drops, and the risks of not treating simple conjunctivitis are low.
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