Queratitis infecciosas. Características clínicas y microbiológicas. Período 2003-2006 Infectious keratitis: clinical and microbiological characteristics. 2003-2006 period

Infectious keratitis cause significant morbidity and, if it is not promptly and appropriately treated, can lead to severe ocular disability. This retrospective study evaluates the clinical and microbiological characteristics of infectious keratitis, treatment and outcome at two month post-treatment in patients consulting at the Ophthalmology Department of the Teaching Hospital of the National University of Asuncion from July 2003 to December 2006. Out of 167 patients, 74.3% were men; mean age ± SD was 40 years ± 19. In 71.9% of the cases cultures were positives; 43.7% were caused by bacteria; 17.4% to fungi, and 10.8% bacteria and fungi. The most frequently isolated bacteria were negative coagulase Staphylococcus (29%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (10.5%) and Staphylococcus aureus