Prevalence of Bacterial Keratitis in Contact Lens Wearing Female Medical Students in Sana'a, Yemen

Abstract

Bacterial keratitis is bacterial infection of the cornea of eye and it is the fifth leading cause of blindness. Contact lens wearing is the most critical risk factor for microbial keratitis in developed countries and developing countries.In Yemen, females wear contact lens mainly for cosmetic purposes and there are no reliable statistics documenting the prevalence of Bacterial keratitis among contact lens wear especially among females. Amis: To find the prevalence of Bacterial keratitis and associated risk factors among female medical students at the National University who wear Contact Lenses in Sana'a city, Yemen. Methods: A cross-sectional structured questionnaire survey of 50 elements conducted to evaluate the behavioral and socio-demographic data.Corneal specimens were collected and cultured to isolate bacteria that cause keratitis. Results: the results revealed that, the prevalence rate of bacterial keratitis among participants was 72%. Staphylococcus aurous and coagulase negative staphylococci were the most common agents of bacterial keratitis.There were statistically significant differences between bacterial keratitis and age, extended wear contact lens wear, sharing contact lens with others, cleaning of contact lens and use eye drops. Conclusion: The major risk factors for bacterial keratitis include prolonged wear of contact lenses, sharing of lenses with others and poor hygiene practices when handling contact lenses. Female students aged 38–42 are the most at-risk group. Bacterial keratitis is preventable diseases.