Bacteria in ophthalmia neonatorum.

A four-year study of the bacteria isolated from neonatal eye swabs at Royal Women's Hospital, Brisbane has been carried out. Of infants admitted to nurseries 2.7% (571/21217) had positive cultures. The incidence of infection in permature non-premature nurseries was 9.7% (221/2273) and 1.8% (350/18944) respectively, a highly significant difference. There was a preponderance of Gram-negative organisms in the former (67%) and of Gram-positive organisms in the latter (69%), each a statistically significant difference. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated 8 times (1.4%) during this period.