title: Antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates from bacterial keratitis cases in a university hospital in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze in vitro antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial isolates from patients with bacterial keratitis at the National Taiwan University Hospital over the past 12 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records were reviewed for patients with culture-proven bacterial keratitis at the National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1994 to December 2005. Microbial isolation and in vitro antibiotic susceptibility were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 272 pathogens were isolated from 254 eyes. Pseudomonas species were the most commonly isolated organisms (46.7%), followed by Staphylococcus species (11%), Propionibacterium species (8.1%), Streptococcus species (7.6%), and nontuberculous Mycobacteria (6.6%). There was no significant change in antibiotic susceptibility in the strains of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, or nontuberculous Mycobacteria during the study period. From 1994 to 2005, 81.8% of the gram-negative organisms were susceptible to the combination of cefazolin and gentamicin, whereas 95.8% were susceptible to ciprofloxacin (P < .001). For all bacterial isolates, 83.7% and 89.7% were susceptible to the combination of cefazolin and gentamicin and the combination of cefazolin and ciprofloxacin, respectively (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no increase in drug resistance in strains of Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, or nontuberculous Mycobacteria from 1994 to 2005. Ciprofloxacin is a more efficacious choice than the combination of cefazolin and gentamicin for gram-negative bacterial keratitis in Taiwan. The combination of cefazolin and ciprofloxacin is an effective empirical therapeutic regimen for bacterial keratitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hsin-Chu Hospital, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chien-Fan
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.forename: Fung-Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chia-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: I-Jong
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-Li
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Chih
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000382:microbiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents