Hospital construction-associated outbreak of ocular aspergillosis after cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to report an outbreak of Aspergillus endophthalmitis after cataract extraction during hospital construction.


METHODS
The study design is a case series of an outbreak of Aspergillus endophthalmitis.


METHODS
Five patients in whom Aspergillus endophthalmitis developed during a period of hospital construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, participated. Severe postoperative uveitis occurred in all five patients and failed to subside with topical steroid therapy. The patients were referred to the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital for treatment. The causative organism was identified as Aspergillus fumigatus in each case.


METHODS
All five patients were subjected to aqueous or vitreous tap. Three patients had vitrectomy. Patients were given systemic, periocular, and intravitreous antifungal agents.


RESULTS
The final outcome in each patient was evisceration or enucleation, despite an intensive course of antifungal therapy.


RESULTS
There were five patients, three females and two males, ranging in age from 51 to 65 years. Postoperative signs of infection developed in the patients 4 to 15 days after surgery. In all five cases, cultures of aqueous or vitreous grew A. fumigatus.


CONCLUSIONS
Aspergillus endophthalmitis is a serious and devastating complication of ocular surgery. The outbreak, herewith, may have been related to hospital construction. The infection can be prevented, notably, by proper maintenance of old, "sick" buildings and by following certain procedures during hospital construction.
Tabbara
K F
KF
Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
al Jabarti
A L
AL
D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000382:microbiology; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000382:microbiology
D000935:Antifungal Agents