---

Microbiological regional profile of infective keratitis

---

Original Article

Author Details : Reena Gupta, Chekitaan Singh, Bella Mahajan, AK Khurana

Volume : 1, Issue : 4, Year : 2015

Article Page : 264-272

Suggest article by email

Get Permission

---

Abstract

Purpose: To determine epidemiological characteristics, specific pathogenic organisms, risk factors for infective keratitis.
Methods: Patients with signs and symptoms of infective keratitis were included. History, examination including visual acuity, slit-lamp bio-microscopy, microbiological examination including Gram staining, KOH mount, culture, sensitivity of corneal scrapings were done.
Results: Forty cases were evaluated, thirty (75%) were males, ten (25%) were females. Age ranged from 5 - 70 years, 35% in age group up to 30 years, 50% between 31-60 years, 15% were > 60 years of age. Right eye was involved in 55%, left in 45%. Highest incidence of ulcers occurred in farmers and labourers (65%). History of trauma was present in 80% patients, ocular surface disease in 7.5%. Diabetes was present in 12.5%. 57.5% patients had hypopyon on presentation. Based on culture reports 62.5% had bacterial keratitis, 25% fungal keratitis and 12.5% sterile. 80% bacterial isolates were gram positive and 20% gram negative. Staphylococcus aureus(40%) was the commonest organism cultured followed by Staphylococcus epidermidis(32%), Pseudomonas(12%), Pneumococcus(8%) and Acinetobacter(8%). Aspergillus was isolated in 60% of cases and Fusarium in 40%. Gram positive isolates were maximally sensitive to Cefazoline, gram negative isolates to Gentamicin.
Conclusion: Males in rural agricultural population in economically productive age group are most vulnerable to infective keratitis. Culture on blood and chocolate agar detects more number of organisms compared to Gram stain alone. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacterium and Aspergillus most common fungus isolated. Cefazoline and Gentamicin combined cover most bacterial isolates.

Key Words: Infective Keratitis², epidemiological profile ¹, risk factors³

How to cite : Gupta R, Singh C, Mahajan B, Khurana A, Microbiological regional profile of infective keratitis. Indian J Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2015;1(4):264-272

This is an Open Access (OA) journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.