Penetrating ocular injury from contaminated eating utensils

R. M. Feist, J. I. Lim, B. C. Joondeph, S. C. Pflugfelder, W. F. Mieler, B. H. Ticho and K. Resnick
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois, Chicago College of Medicine.

Although the rate of infectious endophthalmitis following penetrating ocular injury is generally less than 10%, certain settings may carry a greater risk of infection. One such setting is penetrating injury resulting from eating utensils contaminated with oral flora. We reviewed six of these injuries. Culture-positive bacterial endophthalmitis developed in four of the six eyes; only one of the eyes retained reading visual acuity (greater than 20/50) and two eyes lost light perception. The potential for infection and limited visual outcome in this series warrants aggressive prophylaxis and treatment. The unexpected isolation of Haemophilus influenzae in two of the four infections suggests that broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment should be considered in all such injuries since less common organisms may be encountered.