Microorganisms of conjunctival sac, lacrimal sac, and nasal cavity were studied in 86 patients with obstruction in the lacrimal system. We analyzed the data of bacteriologic culture and its antibiotic sensitivity. The results were as follows; 1. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common microorganism in conjunctival sac, lacrimal sac, and nasal cavity. 2. There was no correlation among the organisms in conjunctival sac, lacrimal sac, and nasal cavity. 3. Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus were most sensitive tocephalothin and cefatoxim.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity* ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between organisms cultured from the lacrimal punctum and lacrimal sac in acute and chronic dacryocystitis during endonasal or external dacryocystorhinostomy. METHODS: Clinical and microbiological records of patients who received endonasal or external dacryocystorhinostomy diagnosed with chronic or acute dacryocystitis between January 2006 and July 2010 were reviewed for age, gender, and culture results from samples of the lacrimal punctum and the lacrimal sac. RESULTS: A total of 107 (93%) patients were positive for bacterial cultures from the lacrimal punctum or sac. The majority of microorganisms from the lacrimal punctum were Staphylococcus epidermidis (24%), and the majority of microorganisms from the lacrimal sac were Staphylococcus aureus (25%). When simultaneous positive culture results from the lacrimal punctum and lacrimal sac were observed, the microorganisms from the 2 areas were identical in 62% of the samples. Additionally, the majority of these organisms were S. aureus. CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of microorganism-positive cultures from the lacrimal sac or lacrimal punctum with a diagnosis of chronic or acute dacryocystitis was found. In addition, the culture results demonstrated that the cause of dacryocystitis was mostly conjunctival normal flora, with a high degree of similarity in organisms between the lacrimal sac and lacrimal punctum (61.7%).
Dacryocystitis ; Dacryocystorhinostomy ; Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

Most common annoyant for angular blepharitis has long been known as a diplobacillus of Morax-Axenfeld since 1897. Bacteriological study has been done on 56 patients (102 eyes) being suffered from angular blepharitis clinically diagnosed in the Dept. of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University College of Medicine. Most angular blepharitis involved bilaterally (82%), 34 cases of angular blepharitis were seen in the nasal canthus (61%). Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated from 50 eyes (49%) with angular blepharitis and staphylococcus au reus from 41 eyes (40%). No diplobacillus of Morax-Axenfeld was demonstrated in the culture from angular blepharitis.
Blepharitis* ; Humans ; Ophthalmology ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis

PURPOSE: A filtering system (ABAK system, Thea(R), France) was developed and has been used to prevent the abuse of preservatives and to decrease the complications that may result from them. However, the bacteria filtering effect of the system has not been reported yet. In this study, we attempt to verify its efficacy. METHODS: Staphylococcus epidermidis was diluted to two different concentrations, 10(7) and 10(5) CFU (Colony-Forming-Unit)/ml. To determine the inward-filtering effect of the system (reverse direction), 0.5 ml of each bacterial concentration was aspirated through the ABAK system, and the solutions that filtered through were cultivated. The results were compared with the controls in which the same amounts of bacterial solutions were dropped from a dropper by squeezing the bottle. For the outward-effect (forward direction), 1ml of bacterial solution from each concentration was put into the bottle with a syringe. Solutions were re-collected by filtering them out through the ABAK system by squeezing the bottle and also by aspirating them from the bottle with a syringe. Both solutions were cultivated, and the results were compared. Each test was repeated 5 times. RESULTS: In control solutions that did not pass through the filter, bacteria were cultivated consistently in repeated tests. However, bacteria were not cultivated in solutions that had passed the filter in both concentrations and in both directions. CONCLUSIONS: Filtering systems prevent solutions from contamination, and even if the bottles are polluted with Staphylococcus epidermidis initially, the bacteria would be filtered out. The effectiveness of the filtering systems was also demonstrated in high bacterial concentrations.
Bacteria ; Ophthalmic Solutions* ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Syringes

PURPOSE: The present study examined the risk of intraocular infection only in cases where the injection needle was replaced when the injection needle was contaminated before intraocular injection. METHODS: Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were cultured and smeared on the end of 30 syringe needles containing 0.1 mL normal saline. After removing only the injection needle, the normal saline in the syringes was injected onto blood agar plates and cultured. RESULTS: The culture results were positive in 21 out of 30 samples in the group smeared with Staphylococcus aureus, and in 25 out of 30 samples in the group smeared with Staphylococcus epidermidis. CONCLUSIONS: When the injection needle is contaminated, the replacement of the needle does not eliminate the possibility of intraocular infection.
Agar ; Endophthalmitis ; Injections, Intraocular ; Needles ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Syringes

PURPOSE: The present study examined the risk of intraocular infection only in cases where the injection needle was replaced when the injection needle was contaminated before intraocular injection. METHODS: Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were cultured and smeared on the end of 30 syringe needles containing 0.1 mL normal saline. After removing only the injection needle, the normal saline in the syringes was injected onto blood agar plates and cultured. RESULTS: The culture results were positive in 21 out of 30 samples in the group smeared with Staphylococcus aureus, and in 25 out of 30 samples in the group smeared with Staphylococcus epidermidis. CONCLUSIONS: When the injection needle is contaminated, the replacement of the needle does not eliminate the possibility of intraocular infection.
Agar ; Endophthalmitis ; Injections, Intraocular ; Needles ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Syringes

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of nosocomial infections, and resistance to methicillin is common in clinical isolates. The distribution of oxacillin MIC for S. epidermidis is not clearly bimodal and it is suspected that the sensitivities for detection of oxacillin resistance by standard susceptibility assays with National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) MIC interpretive criteria (< OR =2 g/mL, > OR =4 g/mL) in S. epidermidis strains are lower than that in Staphylococcus aureus strains. To evaluate the relationship between MIC results and true methicillin resistance, we examined the oxacillin MICs and methicillin MICs by agar dilution and detection of mecA gene by PCR for 41 S. epidermidis strains. METHODS: A total of 41 S. epidermidis strains were examined antimicrobial susceptibility test by VITEK system with GPS-AA card, oxacillin MICs and methicillin MICs by agar dilution and detection of mecA gene by PCR. RESULTS: In antimicrobial susceptibility test by VITEK system with GPS-AA card, 24 strains (58.5%) showed oxacillin resistance. 13 strains (31.7%) required MICs of > OR =4 g/mL in oxacillin MIC test and 19 strains (46.3%) required MICs of > OR =16 g/mL in methicillin MIC test. But 27 strains (65.9%) were mecA positive. One of 15 strains that required oxacillin MICs of < OR =0.5 g/mL, all 3 strains that required oxacillin MICs of 1 g/mL and all 10 strains that required oxacillin MICs of 2 g/mL were mecA positive. CONCLUSIONS: It is suspected that NCCLS MIC interpretive criteria underestimate methicillin resistance among S. epidermidis strains and the PCR method is a reliable reference method.
Agar ; Cross Infection ; Methicillin Resistance* ; Methicillin* ; Oxacillin ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis* ; Staphylococcus*

Postoperative endopthalmitis is one of the most serious complication of intraocular surgery. It has rarely been treated sucessfully. The high incidence of therapeutic failure in bacterial endophthalmitis results in many blind eyes and enucleations. Many species of bacteria may produce endophthalmitis. Staphylococcus aureus has long been generally accepted as the most common causative organism of bacteral endophthalmitis, but Staphylococcus epidermidis hed been known as non-pathogenic organism until Valenton et al (1973) reported two cases of Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis following lens extraction. In 42 year old Korean woman, bilateral endopthalmitis following bilateral cataract surgery were caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis which was identified by smear and culture of the anterior chamber aspirates.
Adult ; Anterior Chamber ; Bacteria ; Cataract Extraction* ; Cataract* ; Endophthalmitis* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis* ; Staphylococcus*

An observation was performed for the microscopic examination and bacterial culture of the prostatic secretion on 67 cases of the chronic prostatitis and 41 cases of normal adult in the Department of urology, Han-Il Hospital from February 1982 to January 1983. The following results were obtained: 1. In 41 cases of normal adults who performed prostatic secretion culture, 19 cases (46.3%) were positive culture and the remained 22 cases (53.7%) were negative culture. 2. In 19 cases of normal adults who were positive culture, there were Staphylococcus epidermidis in 15 cases (79.0%), alpha streptococcus in 2 cases (10.5%) and diphtheroid in 2 cases (10.5%)and diphtheroid in 2cases (10.5%). 3. In cultures of prostatic secretion in 67 cases of chronic prostatitis, 10 cases(14.9%) were no growth and 57 cases (85.1%) revealed bacterial growth. 4. In 57 cases of positive cultures in chronic prostatitis, the isolated organisms revealed 27 cases (47.1%) Of Staphylococcus epidermidis, 13 cases (22.8%) of E. Coli, 12 cases (21.1%) of alpha streptococcus, 2 cases (3.5%) of diphtheroid, 2 cases (3.5%) of enterococcus and 1 case (1.7%) of Klebsiella. The pathogenic bacteria among these were 16 cases (28.0%). 5. In the microscopic examination and culture of the prostatic secretion in chronic prostatitis, microorganisms were cultured in 17 cases (73.9%) among 23 cases of 11-20 WBCs/HPF, in 16 cases (84.2%) among-19 cases of 21-50 WBCs/HPF and in 24 cases (96.0%) among 25 cases of more than 51 WBCs/HPF.
Adult ; Bacteria ; Enterococcus ; Humans ; Klebsiella ; Prostatitis* ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Streptococcus ; Urology

PURPOSE: In order to investigate endophthalmitis and these causative organisms after accidental scleral perforation during strabismus surgery, the used needles after strabismus surgery were cultured and then the cultured bacteria were introduced into rabbit vitreous after perforating the sclera. METHODS: We cultured the needles of sixty strabismus patients, and the identified bacteria were introduced into rabbit vitreous after perforation of the sclera, by dilution at different concentrations, using either sterile syringe or staining on the needles. RESULTS: Positive cultures were found in 10 patients. Of these 10, 7 were identified with Staphylococcus epidermidis and 3 with Staphylococcus aureus. After culturing these two strains and diluting them to different concentrations, they were injected into rabbit vitreous using sterile syringe. It was found that S. aureusat the concentration of 10(3)colonies/ml produced endophthalmitis while at 10(5)~10(7)colonies/ml endophthalmitis was found to be present in all eyes. Although S. epidermidis at concentrations between 10(3) and 10(7) colonies/ml also produced endophthalmitis, the degree of inflammation was weaker than that induced by S. aureus, and some rabbits did not even develop endophthalmitis. After S. aureus was diluted to different concentrations, stained on needles and perforated into rabbits vitreous, endophthalmitis developed at the concentration of 10(7)colonies/ml. CONCLUSION: The two strains isolated after strabismus surgery were the same as the normal bacterial flora found in the lid and conjunctiva. Three days after introduction of both strains, endophthalmitis developed at the relatively high concentration of colonies. In order to prevent endophthalmitis after scleral perforation, the surgeon should decrease the concentration of normal flora in the lid and conjunctiva before strabismus surgery.
Bacteria* ; Conjunctiva ; Endophthalmitis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Needles* ; Rabbits ; Sclera ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; Strabismus* ; Syringes