[Culture of anaerobic bacteria and antibiotic sensitivity test in ocular infectious diseases]

Anaerobes were isolated from 43.9% of 116 eyes with infectious diseases and 21.4% of 140 normal conjunctival sacs. The predominant anaerobes were peptococcus (28.6%) in the former and propionibacterium (53.3%) in the latter. In eyes with infection, only anaerobes were isolated from 27, and a mixture of anaerobes and aerobes in 24. The sensitivity of anaerobes (68 strains) to 10 antibiotics differed significantly from that of aerobes (102 strains). Most anaerobes are sensitive to chloramphenicol and cephaloridine, but not to aminoglycosides or polymyxin B. Therefore, when an ocular infection shows a negative aerobic culture, anaerobic infection should be suspected and chloramphenicol is indicated as first choice for treatment.