- With Mayo Clinic emeritus ophthalmologist
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
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Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis M. Robertson was born in South St. Paul, Minn., and grew up in a musical family on the Mississippi River. He completed his undergraduate and graduate training at the University of Minnesota, where he received a B.A., B.S. and M.D.
Following an internship at San Bernardino County Hospital in California, he worked for two years on Indian reservations under the umbrella of the U.S. Public Health Service. He later completed a residency in ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic and pursued postgraduate fellowship training in vitreoretinal disorders at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He returned to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he worked as a consultant from 1967 until retiring from clinical activities in December 2007.
His studies included a sabbatical during 1987 and 1988 at Moorfields and St. Bartholomew’s hospitals in London. His scientific interests have been chiefly in disorders of the retina and vitreous and ocular oncology. In 1999, he became the recipient of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Professorship.
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Pink eye treatment: What if I wear contact lenses?
- Pink eye: How long is it contagious?
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Question
Pink eye: How long is it contagious?
How long is pink eye contagious? My son's child care has a policy that children with pink eye stay home until they're no longer contagious. But how long is that?
Answer
from Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Pink eye (conjunctivitis) generally remains contagious as long as tearing and mattering of the eye continue. Signs and symptoms of pink eye usually improve within three to seven days. When tearing and mattering are no longer present, it's appropriate for a child to return to school or child care.
If the pink eye is caused by a bacterial infection, treatment with antibiotic drops or ointment for the eyes may be necessary. Some schools and child care facilities require that a child wait at least 24 hours after starting treatment before returning. Good hygiene — including hand washing after touching the eyes — is important to minimize spread of the disease.
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