Ophthalmic infections in children presenting to Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Abstract

BackgroundOphthalmic infections cause significant morbidity in Cambodian children but aetiologic data are scarce. We investigated the causes of acute eye infections in 54 children presenting to the ophthalmology clinic at Angkor Hospital for Children, Siem Reap between March and October 2012.FindingsThe median age at presentation was 3.6 years (range 6 days – 16.0 years). Forty two patients (77.8%) were classified as having an external eye infection, ten (18.5%) as ophthalmia neonatorum, and two (3.7%) as intra-ocular infection. Organisms were identified in all ophthalmia neonatorum patients and 85.7% of patients with an external eye infection. Pathogens were not detected in either of the intra-ocular infection patients. Most commonly isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (23 isolates), coagulase-negative staphylococci (13), coliforms (7), Haemophilus influenzae/parainfluenzae (6), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (2). Chlamydia trachomatis DNA was detected in 60% of swabs taken from ophthalmia neonatorum cases.ConclusionsThis small study demonstrates the wide range of pathogens associated with common eye infections in Cambodian children. The inclusion of molecular assays improved the spectrum of detectable pathogens, most notably in neonates.

Antimicrobial resistance in Cambodia: a review

“…In contrast, AST data was reported by one paper for Shigella spp. (Meng et al, 2011), and two papers for N. gonorrhoeae (Khauv et al, 2014;Vernel-Pauillac et al, 2010). Four studies reported isolates from nonhuman populations, specifically, E. coli and NTS.…”

“…One reported ciprofloxacin (93.3%) and penicillin (100%) resistance rates on 15 isolates from Cambodia, as part of a larger multi-country study (Vernel-Pauillac et al, 2010). The other reported AST data for 3GC (0%) and ciprofloxacin (100%) from two isolates (Khauv et al, 2014). Resistance rates were not reported for azithromycin, spectinomycin, or gentamicin in either paper.…”

Chlamydia trachomatisInfection in Pregnancy: The Global Challenge of Preventing Adverse Pregnancy and Infant Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia

“…Studies from China have estimated that chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs in 4 per 1,000 live births [ 64 , 169 ]. Apart from one study from Singapore [ 66 ], other studies from Asia (China, Cambodia, and Thailand) also report frequently isolating C. trachomatis in 12.2%–60% of infants with conjunctivitis or ophthalmia neonatorum [ 62 – 65 , 67 ] ( Table 2 ).…”

Etiological characteristics of chlamydia trachoma conjunctivitis of Primary Boarding School students in the Qinghai Tibetan area

“…In an etiological examination of 44 patients with eye infections in Cambodia by Khauv et al, only one case of herpes simplex virus was detected, whereas no adenovirus case was identified, which may be explained by the self-limited characteristics of adenovirus infections; thus, it might be difficult to find adenoviruses via conventional etiological screening (Khauv et al, 2014).…”