Purposes The aims of this study were to describe the bacterial isolates and treatment outcomes of endophthalmitis after cataract surgery at a referral centre in Northern Taiwan. Methods This was a retrospective, interventional, and observational series. Medical records were review of patients with clinical diagnosed, and/or culture-proven bacterial endophthalmitis at a tertiary referral centre in Northern Taiwan from January 2002 to December 2008. Treatment generally conformed to standard guidelines. Main outcome measurements were results of organism culture, antibiotic susceptibility of isolated bacteria, and visual acuity (VA) outcome. Results Thirty-four patients had positive cultures. A total of 55.9% of the culturepositive isolates were Gram negative and 44.1% were Gram positive. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most commonly isolated organism. Eighteen patients had final VA better than 5/200, and 41 had final VA worse than 5/200. In multiple linear regression analysis, female gender, presence of hypopyon, and worse baseline VA were significant independent predictors of worse visual outcome. Conclusions It was found that at a referral centre in Northern Taiwan, the majority of bacterial isolates were Gram negative in acute postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis after cataract surgery and P. aeruginosa was the most common bacterial isolate.

Aims: To examine the association between 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME) exposure and haematological effects, as well as the recovery from these haematological effects with continuous reduction in exposure to 2-ME. Methods: Twenty nine exposed and 90 non-exposed workers were recruited. Haematological parameters, eight hour full shift personal exposure to 2-ME, and urinary 2-methoxyacetic acid (MAA) were repeatedly measured in three consecutive surveys within six months. Results: Results of haematological examination in the first exposure survey showed that haemoglobin, packed cell volume, and red blood cell count in the male exposed workers were significantly lower than those in the comparison workers. The frequency of anaemia in the exposed group (42%) was significantly higher than that in the comparison group (3%). The haematological effects were significantly associated with the urinary MAA of exposed workers. The haematological effects had returned to normal in the first follow up survey 2.5 months later, when a reduction in 2-ME exposure was noted. Haematological results of the second follow up examination six months later remained normal. The mean airborne exposure of 2-ME in the three surveys dropped from 35.7 to 2.65, then to 0.55 ppm. The mean urinary MAA of exposed workers in the three surveys was reduced from 57.7 to 24.6, then to 13.5 mg/g creatinine (n = 29). The reduction in exposure through both inhalation and potential dermal contact with 2-ME might account for the haematological recovery. Conclusion: 2-ME is a haematological toxin which leads to anaemia in exposed workers. However, the toxic haematological effects of 2-ME persist for only a short period of time after cessation or reduction of exposure.