Microbial keratitis following vegetative matter injury.
The purpose of the present study was to analyze the microbiological profile of cases of keratitis following trauma with vegetative matter in a tertiary care center. A retrospective review of the medical records of 49 patients with keratitis following vegetative matter injury over a 3-month period was performed. All patients underwent corneal scraping for smears and inoculation onto various culture media. The microbiological profile was based on the smear and culture reports. For patients who were culture-negative, outcome after standard empirical antibacterial therapy as per hospital protocol was analyzed. Thirteen patients with corneal ulcers had fungal etiology, eight had bacterial etiology, and two had protozoal etiology, while 13 patients were polymicrobial and 13 were culture-negative. Polymicrobial infections were mainly bacterial (eight cases), and the remaining five cases had coexistent fungal and bacterial etiology. The treatment was directed to the specific organism and patients improved with medical or surgical therapy. Only a third of culture-negative cases showed fungal etiology on biopsy or histopathology after keratoplasty while a third showed improvement with therapy. Corneal infections following vegetative matter trauma show a varied etiological profile; however, bacterial and polymicrobial infections are more prevalent. Empirical anti-fungal therapy, as commonly practiced, must be avoided in cases with vegetative matter injury.
Cornea and Anterior Segment Services, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India.
Mukesh
M
Taneja
Jatin N
JN
Ashar
Anurag
A
Mathur
Suma
S
Nalamada
Prashant
P
Garg
D000048:Acanthamoeba; D000328:Adult; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D000583:Amikacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001645:Biguanides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007634:Keratitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D010944:Plants; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001645:Biguanides; D004202:Disinfectants; C031233:polihexanide; D000583:Amikacin