Detection of causative agents of infectious keratitis in patients from western rajasthan

Abstract Poster session 3, September 23, 2022, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Objective: To determine the spectrum of causative agents, the related risk factors, and their association in patients of infectious keratitis. Methodology: It was a prospective study conducted over a period of 18 months from August 2018 to January 2020, which included 100 patients attending the Ophthalmology OPD with features of keratitis. Ophthalmological examination was followed by corneal scrapings’ collection, which were subjected to culture, microscopy, and molecular diagnostic tools. Bacterial isolates were identified by conventional methods and MicroScan Walkaway system while the isolated fungi were identified conventionally. Pan-fungal primers were used to detect fungal elements directly from the sample. Results Out of 100, 41 cases were positive by culture, of which 32 (78.04%) had fungal and nine (21.95%) had bacterial keratitis. Fusarium spp. accounted for 33.33% of fungal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounted for 55.55% of the bacterial isolates. Fungal material was detected in 41% using pan fungal primers. Cases were maximally recorded during July-October. Traumatic history was present in 78% patients caused by vegetative matter (49%). A male preponderance (67%) was also observed. Four patients underwent evisceration in spite-of rigorous management. Conclusion Poor prognosis emphasizes the need for faster diagnostics, which can detect the causative agents from the clinical specimen itself, reinforcing the concept of clinical metagenomics.