ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To investigate the microbiological profile of acute postoperative endophthalmitis in a referral center in Tunisia and to assess the antibiotic sensitivity of the organisms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study over a period of eleven years, conducted on patients hospitalized with acute infectious postoperative endophthalmitis. Cultures were performed on aqueous (93%) and vitreous specimens (68%) obtained at presentation. Each sample underwent direct examination, culture and antibiotic susceptibilities. RESULTS: The number of acute postoperative endophthalmitis cases identified during the study period was 308. Organisms were found in 43% of samples (endophthalmitis was bacterial in 39.5%, fungal in 0.9% and polymicrobial in 2.6%). Cultures grew primarily Staphylococcus epidermidis in 31.4% of cases, Streptococcus pneumoniae in 22.7% of cases and Staphylococcus aureus in 12.7% of cases. Gram-positive cocci are more sensitive to vancomycin and Gram-negative bacilli are more susceptible to ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. CONCLUSION: In our study, microbiological samples were positive in 43% and coagulase-negative Gram-positive cocci are the most common organisms. However, antibiotic resistance has been increasing over the years.
