Bacterial culture isolates from hospitalized pediatric patients with conjunctivitis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the spectrum of organisms causing acute bacterial conjunctivitis in hospitalized children at a tertiary care referral center.


METHODS
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.
Tarabishy
Ahmad B
AB
Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
Hall
Gerri S
GS
Procop
Gary W
GW
Jeng
Bennie H
BH
D000208:Acute Disease; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012189:Retrospective Studies