Mycobacterium abscessus keratitis after LASIK surgery / Ceratite por Mycobacterium abscessus após cirurgia LASIK

ABSTRACT A 33-year-old male presented with unilateral subacute infectious keratitis 4 weeks after surgery. Corneal inflammation was resistant to standard topical antibiotic regimens. During diagnostic flap lifting and sampling, the corneal flap melted and separated. Through flap lifting, corneal scraping, microbiological diagnosis of atypical mycobacteria, and treatment with topical fortified amikacin, clarithromycin, and systemic clarithromycin, clinical improvement was achieved.

RESUMO Paciente do sexo masculino, 33 anos, apresentou ceratite infecciosa subaguda unilateral 4 semanas após a cirurgia. A inflamação da córnea foi resistente aos regimes de antibióticos tópicos padrão. A aba da córnea foi derretida e seccionada durante o levantamento e amostragem para diagnóstico. A melhora clínica só foi alcançada após levantamento do retalho, raspagem e diagnóstico microbiológico de micobactérias atípicas e tratamento com amicacina fortificada tópica, claritromicina e claritromicina sistêmica.

Mycobacterium abscessus keratitis after LASIK surgery.

A 33-year-old male presented with unilateral subacute infectious keratitis 4 weeks after surgery. Corneal inflammation was resistant to standard topical antibiotic regimens. During diagnostic flap lifting and sampling, the corneal flap melted and separated. Through flap lifting, corneal scraping, microbiological diagnosis of atypical mycobacteria, and treatment with topical fortified amikacin, clarithromycin, and systemic clarithromycin, clinical improvement was achieved.

Changes in the conjunctival bacterial flora of patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

PURPOSE:: To identify the changes in aerobic conjunctival bacterial flora and to correlate culture results with physical health and the duration of patients' hospitalization in an intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS:: Patients hospitalized in the ICU were included in this study. Conjunctival cultures from all patients were obtained using a standard technique on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. Swabs were plated on nonselective (blood agar) and enriched (chocolate agar) media within one hour. Visible colonies were isolated, and standard microbiological techniques were used to identify the bacteria. The frequency, identity, and correlation of culture results with patients' physical findings and the duration of hospitalization were determined. RESULTS:: We obtained 478 cultures (day 1, 270; day 3, 156; day 7, 36; and day 14, 16) from 135 patients; 288 (60.2%) cultures were positive, and 331 microorganisms were isolated. The most frequently isolated microorganism from the cultures was coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (n=210/331, 63.5%), and the others were Corynebacterium diphtheriae (n=52/331, 15.7%), S. aureus (n=26/331, 7.9%), gram-negative bacilli other than Pseudomonas (n=14/331, 4.2%), Neisseria species (n=8/331, 2.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=6/331, 1.8%), Haemophilus influenzae (n=7/331, 2.1%), Acinetobacter species (n=6/331, 1.8%), and Streptococcus species (n=2/331, 0.6%). The frequency of positive cultures significantly increased (p<0.03) with time. CONCLUSIONS:: Prolonged hospitalization significantly predisposes to bacterial colonization. The colonization rate of S. aureus and Neisseria spp. increased significantly after one week.

Changes in the conjunctival bacterial flora of patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit / Mudanças na flora bacteriana conjuntival de pacientes internados em unidade de terapia intensiva

ABSTRACT Purpose: To identify the changes in aerobic conjunctival bacterial flora and to correlate culture results with physical health and the duration of patients' hospitalization in an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Patients hospitalized in the ICU were included in this study. Conjunctival cultures from all patients were obtained using a standard technique on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. Swabs were plated on nonselective (blood agar) and enriched (chocolate agar) media within one hour. Visible colonies were isolated, and standard microbiological techniques were used to identify the bacteria. The frequency, identity, and correlation of culture results with patients' physical findings and the duration of hospitalization were determined. Results: We obtained 478 cultures (day 1, 270; day 3, 156; day 7, 36; and day 14, 16) from 135 patients; 288 (60.2%) cultures were positive, and 331 microorganisms were isolated. The most frequently isolated microorganism from the cultures was coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species (n=210/331, 63.5%), and the others were Corynebacterium diphtheriae (n=52/331, 15.7%), S. aureus (n=26/331, 7.9%), gram-negative bacilli other than Pseudomonas (n=14/331, 4.2%), Neisseria species (n=8/331, 2.4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=6/331, 1.8%), Haemophilus influenzae (n=7/331, 2.1%), Acinetobacter species (n=6/331, 1.8%), and Streptococcus species (n=2/331, 0.6%). The frequency of positive cultures significantly increased (p<0.03) with time. Conclusions: Prolonged hospitalization significantly predisposes to bacterial colonization. The colonization rate of S. aureus and Neisseria spp. increased significantly after one week.

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar as mudanças na flora bacteriana aeróbia da conjuntiva e correlacionar os resultados da cultura com o estado de saúde física e a duração da hospitalização em pacientes em uma unidade de terapia intensiva (UTI). Método: Pacientes que estavam na UTI foram incluídos neste estudo. Culturas conjuntivais foram obtidas nos dias 1, 3, 7 e 14 de todos os pacientes com uma técnica normalizada. Zaragatoas foram semeadas em placas não seletivas (ágar sangue) e enriquecidas (ágar chocolate) dentro de uma hora. Colônias visíveis foram separadas, isoladas, e identificadas utilizando técnicas microbiológicas convencionais. A frequência, identificação e correlação da cultura resulta com achados físicos e a duração da hospitalização foram determinados. Resultados: Um total de 478 culturas (no primeiro dia 270, terceiro dia 156, sétimo dia 36 e dia catorze 16 culturas) foram obtidas de 135 pacientes hospitalizados durante o estudo. Duzentos e oitenta e oito (60,2% de todas as culturas obtidas) culturas foram positivas. Trezentos e trinta e um microrganismos foram isolados a partir dessas culturas. Em todos os grupos, o microrganismo mais frequentemente isolado foi o Staphylococcus species coagulase negativo (n=210/331, 63,5% de todos os microrganismos isolados). Outras bactérias isoladas foram Corynebacterium diphteriae (n=52/331, 15,7%), Staphylococcus aureus (n=26/331, 7,9%), bacilos Gram-negativos que não sejam Pseudomonas (n=14/331, 4,2%), Neisseria species (n=8/331, 2,4%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=6/331, 1,8%), Haemophilus influenzae (n=7/331, 2,1%), Acinetobacter species (n=6/331, 1,8%), e Streptococcus species (n=2/331, 0,6%). Como o tempo de hospitalização prolongada, a positividade em culturas aumentou significativamente (p<0,03). Conclusões: hospitalização prolongada predispõe significativamente a frequência de colonização bacteriana. A taxa de colonização de S. aureus e Neisseria spp. aumentou significativamente depois de uma semana.