For the first time refractive surgery has been linked to a risk of developing MRSA keratitis, a study in the April edition of the American Journal of Ophthalmogy has revealed.
Researchers found MRSA infections in the eyes of 12 patients after refractive surgery, nine of whom were either healthcare workers or exposed to a hospital surgical setting. All patients had decreased visual acuity and complained of pain and irritation in the eye.
Slit-lamp biomicroscopies revealed corneal epithelial defects, focal infiltrates with surrounding oedema, conjunctival injection, purulent discharge and hypopyon. According to a computerised Medline literature search, this is the first case series of infectious keratitis after refractive surgery.
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