Queensland microbial keratitis database, 2005–2015

Session Details

Session Title: Moderated Poster Session: Cornea

Venue: Poster Village: Pod 2

First Author: : M.Green AUSTRALIA

Co Author(s): :    A. Apel   F. Stapleton                    

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To estimate the incidence of culture positive microbial keratitis in Queensland and analyse trends in the organisms and their sensitivities cultured from corneal scrapes, especially low incidence organisms.

Setting:

This is a collaborative multi-centre case series of all culture positive microbial keratitis in Queensland, Australia between 2005-2015.

Methods:

Retrospective multi-centre case series of all positive corneal scrapes in Queensland, Australia between 2005-2015. Pathology organisations in Queensland were identified by online and local directory search and agreed to participate. Digital records of scrapes provided patient demographics and culture and susceptibility results. Trends in the incidence, organisms and sensitivities were monitored with linear regression. The yearly incidence of microbial keratitis was estimated from the Queensland population.

Results:

Included corneal scrapes totalled 3182, 1006 were excluded. The included scrapes yielded 4111 organisms. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common single isolate (729, 17.7%), although gram positive organisms were more common overall (2737, 66.6%). Fungal organisms were cultured in 6% of cases, while acanthamoeba comprised only 1% of records. Bacterial organisms were sensitive to all recorded antibiotics in 89% of all isolates and none of the reported antibiotics showed a decreasing trend in susceptibility. The incidence of protozoal isolation decreased over time (p=0.055). Cultures positive for yeasts showed linear increase in incidence (p=0.045), moulds showed spike in incidence 2010-12 (p=0.0008).

Conclusions:

The estimated incidence of microbial keratitis was 0.66 cases per 10 000 people, the rate of antibiotic susceptibility is high and stable, the incidence of keratitis secondary to protozoa is likely to be decreasing while the incidence of keratitis culturing yeast is increasing.

Financial Disclosure:

None