Bacterial culture isolates from hospitalized pediatric patients with conjunctivitis.

PURPOSE: To determine the spectrum of organisms causing acute bacterial conjunctivitis in hospitalized children at a tertiary care referral center.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

METHODS

Charts of hospitalized children with positive conjunctival cultures were reviewed, and patients with clinical description of conjunctivitis were studied.

RESULTS

One hundred and seven isolates from 59 patients were included in the study. The most common organisms cultured were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (59.3% of patients), viridans Streptococcus (47.5%), and Staphylococcus aureus (20.3%). The type of organisms differed based on age, with S. aureus and Haemophilus influenzae being more common in nonneonates. Gram-negative bacilli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species were more common in patients hospitalized longer than two days.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of bacterial organisms causing acute bacterial conjunctivitis in our hospitalized children differs from that of previous reports in the outpatient setting. Conjunctival swabbing for culture and sensitivities before instituting empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy may be useful.