Microbial keratitis : Predisposing factors and morbidity

To examine predisposing factors, treatment costs, and visual outcome of microbial keratitis in an ophthalmic casualty and inpatient population. Retrospective medical records review. Fifteen- to 64-year-olds with microbial keratitis treated at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital between May 2001 and April 2003 (n = 291). Risk factors were identified from patient files. Demographic, clinical, and microbiological data; severity; outpatient visits; hospital bed days; and vision loss were examined. Cost to treat (Australian dollars), vision loss, and factors influencing these outcomes. Ocular trauma (106/291 [36.4%]) and contact lens (CL) wear (98/291 [33.7%]) were the most commonly identified predisposing factors; 18 (6.1%) had multiple predisposing factors; 17 (5.8%), ocular surface disease; 20 (6.9%), herpetic eye disease; 4 (1.4%), systemic associations; 5 (1.7%), other; and 23 (7.9%), unknown cause. Of trauma cases, 90.6% involved males, compared with 44% to 57% for other groups (P