Acute-onset nosocomial endophthalmitis after cataract surgery

Purpose: To estimate the incidence of acute-onset endophthalmitis after cataract surgery and to report its clinical features, microbiology, and final visual outcomes.

Setting: King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational case series.

Results: The 10-year incidence of acute-onset endophthalmitis after cataract surgery was 0.068%: 0.049% for extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and 0.085% for clear corneal phacoemulsification (P = .268). The incidence of endophthalmitis was 0.053% during the first 5 years of the study and 0.08% during the next 5 years. The most common presenting features were pain and poor red reflex. Of the 20 cases, 18 were culture positive. The culture isolates showed Staphylococcus species in 7 eyes (35%), Streptococcus species in 7 eyes (35%), polymicrobial or mixed infections in 3 eyes (15%), and Propionibacterium acnes in 1 eye (5%). Two patients (10%) achieved a final visual acuity of 20/40 or better, 5 (25%) had worse than 20/40 to better than 20/200, and 8 (40%) had worse than 20/200; 5 eyes (25%) were eviscerated. Visual outcomes were good in endophthalmitis cases after phacoemulsification and in cases caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis and worse in cases that had Streptococcus species endophthalmitis.

Conclusions: Clear corneal phacoemulsification had a 1.73-fold higher risk for acute endophthalmitis than ECCE. Although the incidence of endophthalmitis after ECCE was lower than after phacoemulsification, the outcome was much worse in post-ECCE endophthalmitis cases. Poor visual outcomes were associated with more virulent organisms and delayed presentation.