Bacteriologic Study of Human Conjunctival Flora*

Aerobic Bacterial Conjunctival Flora in Diabetic Patients

“…25 The frequency of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolation from the conjunctiva of nondiabetic subjects (61.7%) in our study was similar to that reported from nondiabetic patients. 19,26 Among the diabetic patients, the isolation was significantly more frequent (83.5%). Table 6 shows that the presence of retinopathy was also a marker for a high frequency of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolation.…”

Bacterial Flora of the Normal Conjunctiva I. Topographical Distribution

“…One of the interesting results gained from the present study seems to be the fact that about 93 O/O of S. albus, corynebacteria and probably other organisms actually harbouring on the normal conjunctiva will be revealed by a culture taken from the lower fornical and tarsal conjunctiva as is usually done. A sample obtained from the bulbar or tarsal conjunctiva only, as is sometimes performed (Lawson 1898, Keilty 1930, Khorazo & Thompson 1935, Rodin 1945, Olson 1969, Burns 1972) would inevitably give a lower incidence of isolations. The instillation of anaesthetic eye drops (0.2 O/O benoxinate hydrochloride) into the eye, immediately before obtaining cultures, proved to alter the preexisting topographical distribution of S. albus and corynebacteria on the conjunctiva.…”

“…in order to investigate the nature and incidence of the various microorganisms harbouring on the normal conjunctiva (Matafune & Albanese 1912, Lundsgaard 1923, McKee 1924, Lucic 1927, Keilty 1930, Gowen 1934, Khorazo k Thompson 1935, Rodin 1945, Barfoed 1953, Smith 1954, Soudakoff 1954, Cason k Winkler 1954, Chang 1957, Orfila & Courden 1961, de Ocampo et al 1965, Glawogger 1969, Makabe 1971, Locatcher-Khorazo k Seegal 1972 or to study the prophylaxis of postoperative infections (Liebermann & Lengyel 191 1, Lowenstein 1911, Imre 1911, Kraupa 1914, Betti 1921, Stanka 1924, Elshing 1926, Kuffler 8c Schneider 1926, Edmund 1927, v. Pellithy 1932, Locatcher-Khorazo 1953, Doden 1957, Zetzsche 1962, Drewnoik & Wachtel 1967 or lastly to answer the question of the value of bacterial cultures prior to intraocular surgery (Lindner 1914, Cooper 1935, Dunnington & Locatcher-Khorazo 1945, Nolan 1967, Allansmith et al 1969.…”