Bacteriological findings and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolated pathogens from visual threatening ocular infections.

OBJECTIVE

To study the profiles and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolated bacteria from visual threatening ocular infection.

MATERIAL AND METHOD: This is a retrospective review of all microbiological culture reports from visual threatening ocular infection patients admitted at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital from 2005 to 2009. The culture reports with antimicrobial susceptibility pattern were analyzed and correlated with clinical presentation.

RESULTS

There were 682 specimens from 282 patients (286 eyes). Three most common diagnoses were corneal ulcer, endophthalmitis and scleritis, which yielded positive culture of 31.1% (38/122 eyes), 24.2% (25/103 eyes), and 55.6% (5/9 eyes), respectively. Overall, positive cultures were demonstrated from 77 eyes (27%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common causative pathogens of corneal ulcer and scleritis, while Enterococcus faecalis was the most common pathogens of endophthalmitis. All isolated Pseudomonas spp. were susceptible to ciprofloxacin with 4% resistance to both gentamicin and amikacin. Enterococcus faecalis demonstrated 50% of intermediate resistance to ciprofloxacin. There was no methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus identified.

CONCLUSION

Overall positive cultures obtained from visual threatening ocular infection from a 5 year-review were 27%. Microbial profile remained stable from 2005 to 2009, and antimicrobial resistance was not obviously observed in our study. The findings may be used as guidelines for the prompt management of antimicrobial agents used in presumed severe bacterial ocular infection, in order to prevent devastating ocular tissue damage.