Bacterial keratitis is a serious ophthalmic emergency that is one of the leading causes of corneal blindness and visual loss.[18, 19] Early diagnosis and treatment of appropriate antimicrobial medication is very important to prevent its fatal complications.[20] Bacterial keratitis is far more common in developing nations, where access to hospital facilities is limited and hazardous jobs such as farming and agriculture are more common.[21]
Zhang Z et al. reported that the overall positive culture rate was 47% (95% confidence interval, 42–52%). In a meta-analysis of bacterial keratitis, gram-positive cocci were the most common (62%), followed by gram-negative bacilli (30%), gram-positive bacilli (5%), and gram-negative cocci (5%).[14] In our report, the overall positive gram stain rate was 76% and the positive culture rate was 78%. The culture rate of bacterial keratitis in our study was much higher than in other reports. Most of the bacterial keratitis was gram-positive (n = 85, 70%) and the gram-negative is only 6% (7 eyes) (Fig. 1A). Most of the results of culture were gram-positive cocci (GPC) (n = 63, 52%) and gram-negative bacilli (GNB) (n = 21, 17%). Gram positive bacilli (GPB) (n = 6, 5%) and mixed infection with GPC and GNB (n = 5, 4%) were also detected (Fig. 1B). The bacterial strains of the culture in our study were similar to those in earlier reports.
The bacteriological profile and causation of bacterial keratitis differ based on geographic region, referral patterns, and other factors.[22] But Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were describeded to be the most prevalent organisms in bacterial keratitis.[22] But Palmer GS. Et al. reported that Pseudomonas was the most common bacterial cause of infected keratitis, followed by Staphylococcus and Bacillus.[15] In our study, Staphylococcus epidermidis (n = 43, 35.5%) was also the most common causative organism in patients with central and peripheral bacterial keratitis.
The characteristics of central keratitis were reported to be larger ulcerations (> 4 mm2) with inflammation and more often positive culture results.[23] In our study, bacterial keratitis consisted of central keratitis (87 eyes, 72.0%) and peripheral keratitis (34 eyes, 38.0%).
The central keratitis and peripheral keratitis had different gram stain pattern. Most of the central bacterial keratitis was gram-positive (n = 57, 65%) and the gram-negative was only 8% (7 eyes) (Fig. 2A). Most of the peripheral bacterial keratitis was Gram positive (n = 29, 85%) and the Gram negative was none (Fig. 2A).
The central keratitis and peripheral keratitis also had different pathogen patterns. Moraxella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus hominis, and mixed organisms were detected only in central keratitis. Enterobacter and Staphylococcus caprae were detected only in peripheral keratitis (Table 3).
Predisposing factors for bacterial keratitis were reported to be ocular surface disease (26/57 = 45.6%), contact lens wear (26/57 = 45.6%),[24] and previous trauma (5/57 = 8.8%).[23] On the other hand, the most common cause of bacterial keratitis was ocular trauma (n = 29, 24.0%), followed by contact lenses (n = 18, 14.9%), ocular disease (n = 8, 6.6%), and ocular surgery (n = 8, 6.6%) in our result. The unknown causes were the most common in our study (n = 49, 40.5%) (Table 2)
Austin A. et al. reported that the initial treatment of bacterial keratitis differs from clinicians in the USA being more likely to use fortified antibiotics versus fluoroquinolone monotherapy.[6] Fluoroquinolones prescribed as an empiric first-line treatment of bacterial keratitis are at least as effective as fortified antibiotics.[7] But, resistance to fluoroquinolones was common among bacterial keratitis.[9] And S. epidermidis strains isolated from three ocular pathologies were resistant to gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin due to mutations on the gyrA and parC genes.[1]
Therefore, we usually use fluoroquinolone as an empirical therapy in common bacterial keratitis, but fortified antibiotics such as vancomycin and ceftazidime were used in severe corneal infiltration[25] in the initial examination. Vancomycin was the most susceptible and least resistant antibiotic and ciprofloxacin was second most susceptible and the second least resistant antibiotic in patients with bacterial keratitis (Table 4). There was no treatment failure in both of the empirical therapies with fluoroquinolone or fortified antibiotics in our study (Table 5)
Table 5
Comparison of effectiveness of antibiotics
| Gatifloxacin | Moxifloxacin | Ciprofloxacin | Vancomycin ceftazidime |
Eyes | 70 | 40 | 2 | 8 |
Substitution to fortified antibiotics | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
Treatment time (Month) | *1.73 ± 0.74 | 2.51 ± 0.95 | 1.50 ± 0.85 | 2.00 ± 0.75 |
Treatment less than 1 Month (eyes, %) | 30 (42.9%) | 15 (37.5%) | 1 | 0 |
Treatment more than 3 Months (eyes, %) | 13 (18.6%) | 9 (22.5%) | 0 | 0 |
BCVA before treatment (logMAR) | 0.35 ± 0.12 | 0.33 ± 0.14 | 0.32 ± 0.20 | 0.35 ± 0.16 |
BCVA after treatment (logMAR) | *0.21 ± 0.10 | 0.30 ± 0.13 | 0.30 ± 0.15 | 0.31 ± 0.17 |
Treatment Failure | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
BCVA: best corrected visual acuity |
logMAR : Logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution |
Duration of treatment and BCVA after treatment in the gatifloxacin group were significantly better than those in the moxifloxacin group (P < 0.05). The percentage of duration of treatment less than 1 month in the gatifloxacin group was higher than that in the moxifloxacin group. And the percentage of duration of treatment greater than 3 months in the gatifloxacin group was less than that in the moxifloxacin group. |
Values are presented as mean ± SD. *: P < 0.05 |
There was a decrease in resistance to some of the fluoroquinolones.[9] The fourth-generation fluoroquinolones (gatifloxacin and moxifloxacin) were found to be more effective against Staphylococcus aureus isolates resistant to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and levofloxacin.[10] Moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin were the most effective against MRSA bacteria in both planktonic and biofilm forms.[11] And gatifloxacin 0.3% or moxifloxacin 0.5% was very safe and had no epithelial damage in normal human corneas after instillation.[12] Gatifloxacin had a different antibacterial susceptibility compared with moxifloxacin. Moxifloxacin had lower MICs for the majority of gram-positive bacteria, whereas gatifloxacin had lower MICs for the majority of gram-negative bacteria.[10] In our study, duration of treatment and BCVA after treatment (1.73 ± 0.74 months and 0.21 ± 0.10 logMAR) in the gatifloxacin group were significantly better than those (2.51 ± 0.95 and 0.30 ± 0.13) in the moxifloxacin group (P < 0.05). The percentage of duration of treatment less than 1 month in the gatifloxacin group (n = 30, 42.9%) was higher than that in the moxifloxacin group (n = 15, 37.5%). And the percentage of duration of treatment greater than 3 months in the gatifloxacin group (n = 13, 18.5%) was less than that in the moxifloxacin group (n = 9, 22.5%) (Table 5).
A limitation of our investigation was that a multicenter clinical trial with a bigger sample size and a longer follow-up period was required to observe the bacterial spectrum and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of peripheral and central bacterial keratitis.
In conclusion, there was a different bacterial spectrum in central and peripheral keratitis. The most common cause of bacterial keratitis was ocular trauma (n = 29, 24.0%), followed by contact lens (n = 18, 14.9%). Both of fortified antibiotics and fluoroquinolone were effective for empirical therapy. Gatifloxacin was more effective for early corneal healing and recovery of visual acuity than moxifloxacin.