Conjunctival Bacterial Normal Flora and Antibiotic Sensitivity in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery in Maiduguri

Abstract

Background: Bacterial infections are the most common cause of postoperative endophthalmitis with gram positive bacteria accounting for most cases. The flora of the eyelids and conjunctiva are the most frequent source of infection. Knowledge of the conjunctival bacterial flora is therefore important to provide an informed choice of appropriate antibiotics for postoperative prophylaxis in patients undergoing cataract surgery or other intraocular surgeries.
Objectives: To determine the bacterial normal flora of the conjunctiva and their antibiotic sensitivity with a view to determine the appropriate choice of prophylactic postoperative antibiotic in patients undergoing cataract surgery in Maiduguri.
Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted on adult patients scheduled for cataract surgery at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and the State eye hospital Maiduguri from February 2018 to October 2018. Surgery was either small incision cataract surgery (SICS) or extra capsular cataract surgery (ECCE) with lens implantation. The sample included one hundred eyes of one hundred patients
Results: A total of 95 eyes of 95 patients was analysed. The patients were between the ages of 18-85 years with a mean age of 58.11+- 12.3 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.1:1. Positive bacterial cultures were found in 31 (32.6%) of the patients and negative cultures were found in 64 (67.4%) of the patients. In 28 (90.3%) of the patients the bacteria cultured were gram positive while in 3 (9.7%) the bacteria were gram negative rods. The commonest bacterial isolate was Staphylococcus epidermidis, isolated in 14 (45.2%) patients followed by Staphylococcus aureus in 13 (41.9 %). Ciprofloxacin was the most sensitive (93.3%) antibiotics tested followed by chloramphenicol (87.5%),
Conclusion: The commonest bacterial isolate was Staphylococcus epidermidis, followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Ciprofloxacin was the most sensitive antibiotic tested followed by chloramphenicol.