Antibiotic sensitivity of recent clinical isolates from patients with ocular infections

We examined the status of bacterial infection and drug sensitivity in patients who consulted the Ocular Infection Clinic of Niigata University between 1992 and 1995. Overall, 850 strains were detected. Gram-positive cocci were the most frequent (380 strains, 44.7%). We detected 63 strains of gram-negative bacilli (7.4%), 207 strains of anaerobic bacteria (24.4%) and 18 strains of fungi (2.1%). Among gram-positive cocci, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the most prevalent (52.6%). Of gram-negative bacilli, glucose-nonfermenting gram-negative rods (GNF-GNR) were the most prevalent (27.0%). The detection rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was 27.0% (20/74 strains). The detection rate of methicillin-resistant CNS was 6.8% (19/147 strains). Concerning drug sensitivity, most of the 54 strains of methicillin-sensitive S. aureus showed low sensitivity to penicillin G (PCG), ampicillin (ABPC) and erythromycin (EM). Most strains of MRSA showed low sensitivity to PCG, ABPC, cefazolin, flomoxef, imipenem (IPM), ofloxacin (OFLX), EM and clindamycin (CLDM), but high sensitivity to netilmicin, arbekacin (ABK), minocycline (MINO) and vancomycin. The drug sensitivity of CNS was similar to that of S. aureus. Of 27 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, 4 (14.8%) were resistant to PCG. Five strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed high sensitivity to piperacillin, ceftazidime, IPM, tobramycin, ABK and OFLX. Most strains of other GNF-GNR showed high sensitivity to IPM, MINO and OFLX. Most strains of anaerobic bacteria showed high sensitivity to IPM, MINO and CLDM.