Bacteria in ophthalmia neonatorum.
A four-year study of the bacteria isolated from neonatal eye swabs at Royal Women's Hospital, Brisbane has been carried out. Of infants admitted to nurseries 2.7% (571/21217) had positive cultures. The incidence of infection in permature non-premature nurseries was 9.7% (221/2273) and 1.8% (350/18944) respectively, a highly significant difference. There was a preponderance of Gram-negative organisms in the former (67%) and of Gram-positive organisms in the latter (69%), each a statistically significant difference. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated 8 times (1.4%) during this period.
D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009878:Ophthalmia Neonatorum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification