Effect of Hemodialysis Duration on Conjunctival Bacterial Flora and Susceptibility of Conjunctival Bacterial Isolates to Fluoroquinolones

The Assessment of Infection Risk in Patients with Vitiligo Undergoing Dialysis for End-Stage Renal Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition that causes patchy skin depigmentation. Although the mechanism by which vitiligo induces immunocompromise is unclear, other related autoimmune diseases are known to predispose those affected to infection. Individuals with vitiligo exhibit epidermal barrier disruption, which could potentially increase their susceptibility to systemic infections; patients with renal disease also show a predisposition to infection. Nevertheless, there is little research addressing the risk of infection in dialysis patients with vitiligo in comparison to those without it. A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the United States Renal Data System who started dialysis between 2004 and 2019 to determine if ESRD patients with vitiligo are at an increased risk of bacteremia, cellulitis, conjunctivitis, herpes zoster, or septicemia. Multivariable logistic regression modeling indicated that female sex, black compared to white race, Hispanic ethnicity, hepatitis C infection, and tobacco use were associated with an enhanced risk of vitiligo, whereas increasing age and catheter, versus arteriovenous fistula, and access type were associated with a decreased risk. After controlling for demographics and clinical covariates, vitiligo was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of bacteremia, cellulitis, and herpes zoster but not with conjunctivitis and septicemia.

Bacterial spectrum and resistance patterns in corneal infections at a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South China

AIM

To investigate the spectrum and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria isolated from patients with suspected corneal infections in Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center in South China over the past four years retrospectively.

METHODS

Totally 1943 corneal scrapes from patients with corneal infections from 2010 to 2013 were cultured and processed using standard microbiological procedures to identify bacterial isolates. Simultaneously, the bacterial isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility to 8 antibiotics (ceftazidime, cefuroxim, cefazolin, levofloxacin, ofloxacin, neomycin, tobramycin, chloramphenicol) using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique.

RESULTS

Of the total 1943 scrapes, 397 (20.43%) were culture-positive, of which 294 (74.06%) were gram-positive (GP) and 103 (25.94%) were gram-negative (GN) bacteria. Of the GP organisms, the most prevalent genera were Staphylococcus spp. (56.17%, n=223), Kocuria spp. (5.29%, n=21) and Micrococcus spp. (1.26%, n=5). On the other hand, the most prevalent genera were Pseudomonas spp. (12.85%, n=51), Burkholderia spp. (2.02%, n=8) and Acinetobacter spp. (1.51%, n=6) for the GN organisms. Among five antibiotics that have eye drop products, the resistant to neomycin of GP (7.82%, 95% CI: 4.72%-10.92%) and GN isolates (9.71%, 95% CI: 4.01%-15.41%) was lowest, while the resistant to chloramphenicol was highest (GP: 34.35%, 95% CI: 28.92%-39.78%; GN: 60.19%, 95% CI: 50.74%-69.64%).

CONCLUSION

Staphylococcus spp. was the most common bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with corneal infections in this setting. High percentages of GP and GN bacteria were mostly susceptible to neomycin and highly resistant to chloramphenicol.

The Effect of Chronic Alcoholism on the Conjunctival Flora

AIM

We aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol abuse on the conjunctival flora.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The cases were evaluated as two groups. The study group consisted of 55 heavy-drinking males diagnosed with alcohol abuse, while the control group consisted of 55 males without a history of alcohol abuse. Samples were taken from the inferior fornix conjunctiva with sterile cotton-tipped swabs (Amies transport medium) for culture. The samples were inoculated into blood agar, chocolate agar, eosine methylene blue agar and Saboraud-Dextrose agar (Oxoid/UK) with the dilution method.

RESULTS

The microorganisms that grew in study group subjects were Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CNS) in 30 (54.5%), Staphylococcus aureus in 14 (25.5%), Moraxella spp. in 3 (5.5%), Streptococcus spp. in 3 (5.5), Bacillus spp. in 3 (5.5%), Corynebacterium spp. in 3 (5.5%), Candida spp. in 3 (5.5%), Haemophilus spp. in 2 (3.6%), Acinetobacter spp. in 2 (3.6%), Neisseria spp. in 1 (1.8%) and Micrococcus spp. in 1 (1.8%). The results for control group were CNS in 31 (56.4%), Bacillus spp. in 7 (12.7%), S. aureus in 5 (9.1%), and Corynebacterium spp. in 2 (3.6%). Moraxella spp., Streptococcus spp., Candida spp., Haemophilus spp., Acinetobacter spp., Neisseria spp. and Micrococcus spp. microorganisms grew in the conjunctival flora samples of the study group but not in the control group. S. aureus colonization was significantly higher in the study group than the control group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The S. aureus colonization rate was statistically significantly higher in the study group. Some microorganisms only grew in the conjunctival flora samples of the study group. These findings indicate that the conjunctival flora in persons with chronic alcoholism is different than the normal population.