[The conjunctival flora of HIV-positive patients in an advanced stage]

We evaluated the incidence of bacterial cultures taken from 23 outpatient and nosocomial AIDS patients. It was found that 36.6% of the 11 outpatients had non-pathogenic bacterial flora (Staphylococcus epidermis). Staphylococcus aureus as a pathogenic bacterium was found in 25% of the positive cultures in a group of 12 nosocomial patients. Candida albicans, a fungus, was also found in 25%, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the only gram-negative bacteria, was identified in 8.3%. Staphylococcus epidermidis was found in 18.8%. It was concluded that preoperative cultures of the conjunctival sac of hospitalized AIDS patients are essential before intraocular procedures are carried out. There must be no apparent infection of the conjunctiva.