title: Anterior chamber aspirate cultures after uncomplicated cataract surgery.
abstract: We cultured anterior chamber aspirates of 30 patients who had uncomplicated extracapsular cataract extraction or phacoemulsification. The aspirate was obtained at the time of wound closure. Of 30 patients, 13 (43%) had culture-positive anterior chamber aspirates. The total number of organisms recovered was 18, with three patients having multiple organisms identified. The most commonly isolated organisms were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus sp., occurring in eight of 18 isolates (44%). No eyes in our study developed endophthalmitis, even though almost one half had viable organisms growing from the anterior chamber aspirates. Inoculum sizes were extremely small (10 to 20 colony-forming units/ml). This study suggests that in humans, the anterior chamber is capable of clearing a low inoculum of bacteria after cataract surgery without the development of endophthalmitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Dickey
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Jay
mesh_terms: D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000382:microbiology*; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000382:microbiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification