Comparative Assessment Of The Antibacterial Activity Of Ophthalmic Antibiotics

To investigate the sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus to a number of topical ophthalmic antibacterial drugs.

The profile of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms varies in different regions, and is often influenced by local practices, drug prescriptions, epidemiological conditions, and the presence of hospital-acquired strains. The use of inactive antibiotics leads to reduced therapeutic effectiveness, longer treatment periods, increased risk of severe complications, decreased patient quality of life, and economic costs. The lack of recent regional data highlights the relevance of this study.

The study included 85 strains of Staphylococcus aureus selected from the laboratory database for 2024-2026. The study included a pathogenic strain of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with clinically confirmed anterior eye infection. The exclusion criteria were mixed microflora and isolates from patients who received topical antibiotic therapy. We were used the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for identification of microorganizms. The sensitivity of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus strains to the most commonly used antibiotics in ophthalmology, such as levomycetin, tobramycin, netilmycin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and bezifloxacin, was analyzed using the disk-diffusion method.

Antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone series showed the maximum activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The highest sensitivity was observed for moxifloxacin (growth inhibition zone 36±1.2 mm), bezifloxacin (33±0.8 mm) and levofloxacin (30±1.3 mm). Among aminoglycosides, high sensitivity was determined for netilmycin (25±0.9 mm), and moderate sensitivity was determined for tobramycin (18±1.4 mm). Low antibacterial activity was demonstrated by ciprofloxacin (15±1.1 mm) and levomycetin (11±2.2 mm), which may indicate a high prevalence of resistance to these drugs among the studied strains.

Moxifloxacin, levofloxacin and bezifloxacin demonstrate the highest effectiveness and can be recommended for the empirical treatment of inflammatory eye diseases of staphylococcal etiology. Aminoglycosides (netilmicin, tobramycin) retain clinical significance as an alternative or a component of combined therapy. The results are consistent with the global trend of increasing resistance and emphasize the need for rational antibiotic prescription based on current regional data and continuous monitoring.