Blood Culture and Conventional Media for Vitreous Culture in Infectious Endophthalmitis
Yosanan Yospaiboon, MD*, Sarawuth Saree, MD*, Sirichai Pasadhika, MD**
Affiliation : * Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen ** Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
Objective : To study culture of vitreous fluid specimens in patients with infectious endophthalmitis, using
blood culture bottles compared with conventional culture media.
Materials and Methods : Patients with infectious endophthalmitis, occurred within 6 weeks after ocular trauma
or intraocular surgery, were prospectively studied. Vitreous fluid specimens were cultured in both blood
culture bottles and conventional culture media. The measured outcome is the yield of positive culture and
time to positive culture.
Results : The vitreous fluid culture was positive in 14 of 27 eyes (51.85%). Blood culture bottle was positive
in 14 of 14 eyes (100%), whereas conventional culture media was positive in 7 of 14 eyes (50%). Most
specimens in both techniques showed positive culture within 24 hours.
Conclusion : Vitreous fluid culture with blood culture bottles is superior to conventional media with
statistically significant difference. There was no significant difference in time to positive culture.
Keywords : Infectious endophthalmitis, Blood culture bottle, Conventional culture media
