Case report: Providencia stuartii conjunctivitis

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to report a case of Providencia stuartii conjunctivitis. Methods: This study is a retrospective chart review of a patient with persistent conjunctivitis. Results: We report the first case of P. stuartii conjunctivitis. Our patient was an elderly man living in a nursing home who was likely immunocompromised from longstanding diabetes mellitus. A conjunctival swab culture was able to identify the infecting bacteria and its antibiotic susceptibility. The conjunctivitis was successfully treated with vancomycin drops and oral sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. Discussion: P. stuartii is an increasingly common bacterium found in the urine of immunocompromised nursing home residents with indwelling Foley catheters. While it has rarely been found to cause ocular infections, P. stuartii may be suspected in elderly, immunocompromised nursing home residents.