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Characterization of Conjunctival Microflora and Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery

A. Vagge, Filippo Lixi, Diego Ponzin, C. Del Noce, D. Camposampiero, Marcello Santocono, C. E. Traverso, Vincenzo Scorcia et al.

Microorganisms, 2025

44 participants · 2 citations

Abstract

This study aims to characterize the conjunctival flora of patients scheduled for cataract surgery and determine the susceptibility profile of isolated bacteria to several commonly used topical antibiotics. Conjunctival swabs were taken from 44 consecutive patients (25 males, 19 females; mean age of 75.0 ± 12.6 years) who were scheduled for senile cataract surgery at two Italian centers before starting any prophylactic preoperative treatment. Swabs were processed for the detection of the microbial growth and for species identification. Selective culture media were used, and bacteria were identified using the MicroScan Specialty ID Panels (Beckman Coulter®, Brea, CA, USA). Antimicrobial susceptibility for the following antibiotics (netilmicin, tobramycin, ofloxacin, oxacillin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, chloramphenicol, cefuroxime, and azithromycin) were assessed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. Susceptibility for oxacillin was useful to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). Among the swabs analyzed, 61.4% showed only saprophytic flora, 30.7% showed only potential pathogenic flora, and 8.0% showed mixed flora. S. epidermidis (20.5%), S. intermedius (18.2%), and S. aureus (14.8%) were the most frequent isolates; MRSA and MRSE accounted for 8.0% and 6.8% of isolates. Less frequently (9%), Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescent, Serratia marcescens, Moraxella lacunata,…

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