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Managing Bacterial Keratitis

Managing Bacterial Keratitis

Approximately 25,000 to 30,000 Americans develop bacterial keratitis each year, and 24 percent of these patients will develop vision-threatening complications. Risk factors include wearing contact lenses, a weakened immune system, eye trauma/injury, and problems with eye tearing. 

Symptoms

Symptoms develop quickly, and may include eye pain, reduced vision, light sensitivity, and tearing or discharge from the eye.

Treatment

Prompt treatment is critical. Depending on the etiologic agent, broad-spectrum or single-agent topical antibiotic eye drops are frequently applied; in some cases, a topical steroid may be necessary. 

Prognosis

Even with proper and swift treatment, an infected eye may develop scarring and vision loss. When treatment is delayed, bacterial keratitis can lead to corneal perforation, scleral extension of infection, endophthalmitis, and anterior segment disorganization.

Educate your patients about these 8 risk factors for contact lens-related bacterial keratitis1

  1. Overnight wear
  2. Wearing contact lenses while swimmin
  3. Not disinfecting contact lenses we
  4. Not cleaning contact lens cas
  5. Storing or rinsing contact lenses in wat
  6. Using visibly contaminated lens solution
  7. “Topping off” lens solution rather than discarding used solution and replaci
  8. Sharing non-corrective contact lenses used for cosmetic purposes
Innovations in Research: Mass. Eye and Ear clinicians and scientists recently discovered and successfully treated a new variant of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In a paper published in JAMA Ophthalmology, the researchers describe the case that led them to discover the mutation, and share a test to help recognize and address this particular microbe if encountered in the future.2
  1. Contact lens–related corneal infections — United States, 2005–2015. Cope JR, Collier SA, Srinivasan K, et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:817–820.
  2. Novel phagocytosis resistant ESBL-producing E. coli from keratitis. VanTyne D, Ciolino JB, Wang J, Durand ML, Gilmore MS. JAMA Ophth. 2016 Sep 15.