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View 1: Corneal scraping and combination antibiotic therapy is indicated

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, Adelaide, SA, 5042, Australia; richard.mills@fmc.sa.gov.au

Keywords: microbial keratitis; antibiotics

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Microbial keratitis is an ocular emergency that requires prompt and appropriate management to ensure the best visual outcome for the patient. If possible, this means identification of the causative organism(s) and selection of the best antimicrobial agent(s) to treat the patient.

A clinical diagnosis of corneal infection does not give an unequivocal indication of the causative organism because a wide range of organisms can produce a similar clinical picture. The clinical history together with the duration and severity of symptoms and signs may make the clinical diagnosis of one type of organism more likely, but without attempting to identify the causative organism(s) treatment can only be based on clinical judgment.

The identification of organisms responsible for microbial keratitis is desirable because a positive result indicates the appropriate class of antimicrobial agent to use. Knowing the causative organism also gives the treating clinician confidence to pursue a particular line of . . . [Full text of this article]

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