Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolation from the vitrectomy specimen four hours after initial treatment with vancomycin and ceftazidime

Golnaz Javey¹, Stephen G Schwartz², Andrew A Moshfeghi², Sanjay Asrani³, Harry W Flynn Jr²

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; ²Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; ³Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

Abstract: A patient presented with acute-onset, postoperative endophthalmitis and visual acuity of light perception. Because of a time delay in arranging a pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), the patient was treated with a prompt vitreous tap for culture an injection of vancomycin and ceftazidime. Four hours later, the PPV was performed and additional antibiotics were injected. The cultures from both the initial needle tap and the subsequent PPV isolated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis sensitive to vancomycin, but resistant to fourth-generation fluoroquinolones. The patient eventually recovered a visual acuity of 20/80 before developing retinal detachment. This case illustrates the time lag necessary to sterilize the vitreous cavity, and suggests a possible two-step staged treatment strategy for situations in which access to PPV equipment and support staff may be limited.

Keywords: endophthalmitis, pars plana vitrectomy, tap and inject