{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T02:25:23Z","timestamp":1788488723596,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]],"date-time":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1737417600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aims to characterize the conjunctival flora of patients scheduled for cataract surgery and determine the susceptibility profile of isolated bacteria to several commonly used topical antibiotics. Conjunctival swabs were taken from 44 consecutive patients (25 males, 19 females; mean age of 75.0 \u00b1 12.6 years) who were scheduled for senile cataract surgery at two Italian centers before starting any prophylactic preoperative treatment. Swabs were processed for the detection of the microbial growth and for species identification. Selective culture media were used, and bacteria were identified using the MicroScan Specialty ID Panels (Beckman Coulter\u00ae, Brea, CA, USA). Antimicrobial susceptibility for the following antibiotics (netilmicin, tobramycin, ofloxacin, oxacillin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, chloramphenicol, cefuroxime, and azithromycin) were assessed using the Kirby\u2013Bauer disk diffusion method. Susceptibility for oxacillin was useful to identify methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE). Among the swabs analyzed, 61.4% showed only saprophytic flora, 30.7% showed only potential pathogenic flora, and 8.0% showed mixed flora. S. epidermidis (20.5%), S. intermedius (18.2%), and S. aureus (14.8%) were the most frequent isolates; MRSA and MRSE accounted for 8.0% and 6.8% of isolates. Less frequently (9%), Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas fluorescent, Serratia marcescens, Moraxella lacunata, Morganella morgani, and Stenotrophomonas maltophila were detected. All isolated organisms showed an excellent sensitivity to moxifloxacin and chloramphenicol (range 83\u2013100%, range 67\u2013100%, Gram-positive sensitivity for moxifloxacin and chloramphenicol, respectively; 100% Gram-negative sensitivity for both). A significant percentage of the eyes of candidates for surgery presented potential pathogenic flora alone or in association with saprophytic organisms. Staphylococci were the most frequently isolated bacteria. Tobramycin and Ofloxacin, widely used in the ophthalmic field, are confirmed to have a reduced sensitivity in vitro.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms13020227","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]],"date-time":"2025-01-21T08:46:26Z","timestamp":1737449186000},"page":"227","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Characterization of Conjunctival Microflora and Antibiotic Sensitivity Patterns in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9346-9267","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aldo","family":"Vagge","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Clinic of Genoa, Policlinico San Martino, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy"},{"name":"IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-0956-4925","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filippo","family":"Lixi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Clinic, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Diego","family":"Ponzin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Veneto Eye Bank Foundation, 30174 Venice, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chiara","family":"Del Noce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Clinic of Genoa, Policlinico San Martino, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy"},{"name":"IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Davide","family":"Camposampiero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Center for Ocular Physiopathology, Veneto Eye Bank Foundation, 30174 Venice, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcello","family":"Santocono","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Unit (Santocono), Hospital Di Stefano, 95128 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carlo Enrico","family":"Traverso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Clinic of Genoa, Policlinico San Martino, Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DiNOGMI), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy"},{"name":"IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6826-7957","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Scorcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Unit, Renato Dulbecco Hospital, University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2617-0289","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Giannaccare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Eye Clinic, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1143","DOI":"10.1038\/s41385-022-00551-6","article-title":"Mucosal immunology of the ocular surface","volume":"15","author":"Leger","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mucosal. 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