Nosocomial postoperative endophthalmitis: a 14-year review

The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence, predisposing surgery, management and final visual outcome of postoperative endophthalmitis over a 14-year period at one institute.

This retrospective study reviewed all intraocular operations performed between 1 January 1991 and 31 August 2004 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical Center, to determine the incidence of nosocomial postoperative endophthalmitis and the characteristics of patients who developed this condition.

The overall incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis after intraocular surgery was 0.19% (56 out of 30,219). Postoperative endophthalmitis developed in 56 eyes in 56 patients during the study period. The condition developed after cataract surgery in 46 eyes, after penetrating keratoplasty in 6 eyes, after filtering surgery in 2 eyes, after secondary intraocular lens implant in 1 eye, and after vitrectomy in 1 eye. Postoperative endophthalmitis was culture-positive in 31 cases (55%). The most frequent organism isolated was coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Factors associated with better visual acuity outcomes included low virulence of isolated pathogen, initial visual acuity of counting fingers or better, and history of cataract surgery compared with other intraocular surgery.

The overall incidence of endophthalmitis after intraocular surgery was 0.19%. The results of this 14-year review from a local medical center may serve as a source of comparison for other centers and future studies.