Assessment of cases of infective keratitis

Background: A variety of factors determine clinical outcome in microbial keratitis and the epidemiological patterns vary from one country to the other and in different geographical areas in the same country. The present study was conducted to assess cases of infective keratitis. Materials & Methods: 76 patients diagnosed with infective keratitis of both genders were enrolled. Scrapings were subjected to Gram stain, potassium hydroxide preparation and culture for bacterial and fungal pathogens. Results: Out of 76 patients, males were 46 and females were 30. Micro-organisms found to be bacterial isolates in 54, fungal growth in 12 and no organism isolated in 10 cases. Bacterial isolates were staphylococcus aureus in 12, coagulase-negative staphylococci in 14, Micrococcus in 10, Klebsiella spp in 10 and Pseudomonas spp in 8. Fungus found to be curvularia spp in 2, aspergillus spp in 1, fusarium spp in 2, unidentified in 2 and candida spp in 5. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci and candida spp. Were most commonly involved pathogen in infective keratitis