EFFECTS OF DIABETES RELATED OCULAR DISORDERS ON BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVAL FLORA

The aim of the present study was to investigate the pattern of conjunctival bacterial flora in diabetic patients and describing its variations according to the presence of major diabetes related ocular disorders that people with diabetes. This cross sectional study was carried out in various eye hospitals in and around Trichirappalli district, Tamilnadu, India over a period of 5 months from 1st May to 31st September 2015. Total 200 conjunctival swabs were collected from both eyes of 50 diabetic patients and 50 nondiabetic patients. Significant number of culture was positive in diabetic patients (94%) compared to that of non-diabetic individuals (78%). Significantly higher proportion of positive conjunctival culture in diabetic retinopathy patients (40%) among diabetes. Cataract patients were containing 26% of positive cultures. Patients with glaucoma were containing 10% of positive culture and Diabetic patients without any disorder were containing 18% of positive culture. Staphylococcus epidermidis was predominant microorganism in both study groups. Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Diptheroids, Streptococcus non-haemolytic, Moraxella sp, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Haemophilus influenza were presence in various percentage of both study groups and little higher in diabetic group. We evaluated that the presence of major diabetes related ocular disorders altered the conjunctival flora. From this study we concluded that diabetes and the presence of major diabetes related ocular disorders specifically the presence of diabetic retinopathy may be a factor for a higher prevalence of bacteria in the conjunctival flora.