Bacterial flora in relation to cataract extraction. I. Material, methods and preoperative flora

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Microbiology

Background:

• The ocular surface harbors a complex microbial community.
• Understanding the conjunctival flora is crucial for preventing post-operative infections, particularly before procedures like cataract extraction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the conjunctival flora in patients undergoing cataract extraction.
• To compare conjunctival flora with nasal and facial skin flora.
• To investigate correlations between conjunctival flora and patient/environmental factors.

Main Methods:

• Cultured conjunctival swabs from 499 patients prior to cataract surgery.
• Compared conjunctival flora with nasal and facial skin flora.
• Analyzed correlations with sex, age, season, and neutrophil counts.

Main Results:

• Staphylococcus albus was the predominant organism (95.4%).
• Corynebacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, gram-negative bacilli, and pneumococci were also identified.
• Conjunctival flora showed similarity to nasal and facial skin flora, with shared Staphylococcus aureus phage types.
• Corynebacteria and gram-negative bacilli were more prevalent in males; corynebacteria showed seasonal variation.

Conclusions:

• Staphylococcus albus is the dominant conjunctival bacterium before cataract surgery.
• Nasal and facial skin flora composition is similar to conjunctival flora.
• Certain bacterial incidences correlate with sex and season, but not age or neutrophil count.