Abstract

MARTINEZ VERA, E et al. Frequency and antimicrobial sensibility of etiological agents of dacriocystitis. Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2008, vol.6, n.2, pp.32-37. ISSN 1812-9528.

Dacryocystitis is the most frequent infection of the lacrimal sac. The microbiological evaluation of dacryocystitis is important to make an adequate choice of antibiotics. The objective of this study is to determine the frequency and antibiotic susceptibility of the etiological agents of dacryocystitis in patients attending the Ophthalmology Department of the Teaching Hospital of the National University of Asunción, Paraguay from May 1998 to April 2007. All patients were antibiotic-free for at least one week prior to sampling. Samples were taken by aspiration of the lacrimal sac obtained via canalicular reflux or incision of the lacrimal sac and cultured aerobically and anaerobically following standard methods. Out of 41 patients (23 adults and 18 children), 30 (73.1%) showed positive cultures, 16 (53.4%) of them were pure and 14 (46.6%) mixed cultures, yielding 51 microorganisms. Of the 37 microorganisms 54% were isolated in adults and corresponded to gram negative rods (enterobacterias, Haemophilus sp, anaerobic and non fermenting gram negative rods) while 41% to gram positive cocci: (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus viridans, coagulase negative Staphylococcus). In children, 72% of the micro-organisms isolated were gram positive cocci (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and Candida sp was found in one sample. The susceptibility patterns of the Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin and Staphylococcus aureus to methicillin were 100%. All isolates showed high susceptibilities to the tested antibiotics. However, due to the great variety of species and the polymicrobial nature of the cultures, the initial scheme and prophylaxis of the dacryocystorhinostomy and other intraocular procedures should be expanded. One option is the use of aminopenicillins with a betalactamase inhibitor associated with tobramycin in children and ciprofloxacin in adults.

Keywords : Dacryocystitis; etiological agents; resistance; antimicrobial.

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