Microbiology and Antibacterial Susceptibility Pattern of Suppurative Keratitis Pathogens in Baghdad City

Eye infections caused by pathogenic bacterial agents have an interesting social history, often with somewhat unsavoury associations. Corneal scrapings were obtained from 100 hospitalised patients from eye hospitals of Baghdad city, Iraq and inoculated directly onto enriched and differential culture media. Subcultures were performed on selective media. The necessary biochemical tests were conducted and the organisms identified using standard procedures. Susceptibility of isolated pathogens to commonly-used ocular antibacterial was examined using Kirby-Bauer’s standard disc diffusion technique. The results were showed that 38 different organisms from total 100 corneal scraping samples of suppurative keratitis were isolated. Gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23(60.5%) and gram-negative bacteria for 15(39.4%). Staphylococcus aureus 11(28.9%), Strep. Pneumoniae 8(20.05%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 6(15.7%), Staph. epidermidis 4(10.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 4(10.5%), E. coli 3(7.8%) and Moraxella catarrhalis 2(5.2%) were the most commonly-isolated organisms. In susceptibility testing, Gentamycin had significant effects against Gram positive bacteria which constituted the majority (82.5%) of isolates. Besides the coverage of this agent against Gram positive and negative organisms was also significant antibacterial activity that ranged from 50-100% sensitivity. Ofloxacin showed highly inhibition rate (75-100%) against all isolated pathogens except Moraxella catarrhalis (100%) resistance. Ampicillin coverage of against Moraxella catarrhalis 2(100%) and E. coli 2(66.6%). All the tested gram-positive cocci Staph. Species showed highly resistance to Chloramphenicol range from 90.9-100%. The coverage of Vancomycin against Staphy. aureus was 7(63.6%), Moraxella catarrhalis 2(100%), but all the isolates of E. coli  were resistant to Vancomycin. Susceptibility analysis revealed that antibiotic with the greatest coverage was Gentamycin (82.5 % of 38 isolates). Gentamycin also had good coverage against Gram-positive cocci, which constituted the majority (100 %) of suppurative keratitis isolates.