Etiology, antimicrobial sensitivity test and epidemiological profile of infectious keratitis in a university reference service in the Espírito Santo State, Brazil

Resumo

Introduction: Infectious keratitis (IK) or infectious corneal ulcer is an ophthalmic emergency char­acterized as a loss of integrity of the corneal epithelium with infiltration of the underlying stroma by leukocytes, which are associated with inflammation. Objective: To identify the epidemiological profile, major etiological agents and antimicrobial sensitivity test of infectious keratitis in the main reference center for this disease in the Espírito Santo State (Hospital Universitario Cassiano Antonio de Moraes - HUCAM). Methods: Retrospective study of infectious keratitis cases with microbiologi­cal analysis from March 2016 to March 2020 at HUCAM. Results: Total of 473 cases of keratitis was diagnosed during the study period and 43 patients without culture. Microbiological cultures were positive in 63.5% exams (273). Only 0.2% of the exams were classified as contamination. The main results were Gram negative bacteria in 27.7% of the cases, Gram positive bacteria in 21.4%, fungi in 16.9% and protozoa in 0.2%. Conclusion: The study identified the profile and analyzed the antimi­crobial susceptibility of the main etiological agents with infectious keratitis attended at HUCAM. Hence, it provides data that can help ophthalmologists to obtain a better presumptive diagnosis and a more appropriate initial empirical treatment when indicated.