title: Trends of Bacterial Keratitis Culture Isolates in Jerusalem; a 13- Years Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the trends in pathogens and antibacterial resistance of corneal culture isolates in infectious keratitis during a period of 13 years at Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Retrospective analysis of bacterial corneal isolates was performed during the months of January 2002 to December 2014 at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center. Demographics, microbiological data and antibiotic resistance and sensitivity were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 943 corneal isolates were analyzed during a 13 year period. A total of 415 positive bacterial cultures and 37 positive fungal cultures were recovered, representing 48% of the total cultures. The Annual incidence was 34.78 ± 6.54 cases. The most common isolate was coagulase-negative staphylococcus (32%), which had a significant decrease in trend throughout the study period (APC = -8.1, p = 0.002). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appears to have a decrease trend (APC = -31.2, P = 0.5). There was an increase in the resistance trend of coagulase-negative staphylococci to penicillin (APC = 5.0, P = <0.001). None of the pathogens had developed any resistance to Vancomycin. (P = 0.88).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coagulase negative staphylococci were the predominant bacteria isolated from patients with keratitis. There was no significant change in the annual incidence of cases of bacterial keratitis seen over the past 13 years. Keratitis caused by MRSA appeared to decrease in contrast to the reported literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Politis
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wajnsztajn
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rosin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Block
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003030:Coagulase / Q000378:metabolism; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D007634:Keratitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003030:Coagulase