ESCRS - PO802 - Unveiling The Preoperative Conjunctival Microbiome Along With Antibiotic Susceptibility In Cataract Surgery Patients At Ibn Al-Haitham Teaching Eye Hospital, Baghdad

Unveiling The Preoperative Conjunctival Microbiome Along With Antibiotic Susceptibility In Cataract Surgery Patients At Ibn Al-Haitham Teaching Eye Hospital, Baghdad

Published 2025 - 43rd Congress of the ESCRS

Reference: PO802 | Type: Poster | DOI: 10.82333/sne4-aj31

Authors: Ahmed Sermed Al Sakini 1 , Mohammed A. Fenjan* 2 , Hamza Khorsheed 3 , Sandra Thair Al-aish 4 , Furkaan Majied Hamied 5

1Department of Ophthalmology ,University of Baghdad, College of Medicine,Baghdad,Iraq;Department of Ophthalmology ,University of Baghdad, College of Medicine,Baghdad,Iraq, 2Department of ophthalmology,Ibn Al Haitham Teaching Eye Hospital,Baghdad,Iraq;Department of Ophthalmology ,University of Baghdad, Alkindy College of Medicine,Baghdad,Iraq, 3Jordanian University of Science and Technology,Amman,Jordan, 4University of Baghdad, College of Medicine,Baghdad,Iraq, 5Department of Ophthalmology ,College of Medicine, Al-Qadisya University,Baghdad,Iraq

Purpose

To investigate the preoperative conjunctival flora and their antibiotic susceptibility in patients undergoing cataract surgery at Ibn Al-Haitham Teaching Eye Hospital, a tertiary ophthalmology center in Baghdad, Iraq.

Setting

The study was conducted at Ibn Al-Haitham Teaching Eye Hospital, a tertiary ophthalmology center in Baghdad, Iraq

Methods

This cross-sectional, single-center study based on conjunctival swabs of patients prior to cataract surgery and cultured using blood agar, chocolate agar, MacConkey agar, and Sabouraud agar. Bacterial isolates were identified using Gram staining and biochemical tests, and antibiotic sensitivity was determined using the disc diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS Statistics Version 23.

Results

A total of 200 patients (200 consecutive eyes) scheduled for cataract surgery were included. Positive cultures were found in 45 (24%) patients. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most frequentl isolate (75% of isolates), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (14.58%), Aspergillus species (6.25%), and E. coli (4.17%). S.epidermidis showed the highest sensitivity to ofloxacin (97.2%) and chloramphenicol (94.4%) but lowest sensitivity to fusidic acid (11.1%) and ceftazidime (5.6%). S.aureus exhibited the highest sensitivity to chloramphenicol (100%) and tobramycin (85.7%) but completely resistant to ceftazidime and fusidic acid. E. coli isolates were 100% sensitive to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and chloramphenicol.

Conclusions

The study revealed conjunctival microbial colonization in 24% of cataract surgery candidates, with S. epidermidis being the most prevalent isolate. Chloramphenicol, ofloxacin, Tobramycin, and Ciprofloxacin showed high sensitivity. Fusidic acid and Ceftazidime exhibited negligible sensitivity.