Cigarette consumption is a risk factor for cardiovascular, pulmonary, skin and mucous diseases. <em><strong>Objective:</strong></em> To evaluate the quality and quantity alterations of the tear film and ocular surface in active smokers and non-smokers. Materials and <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> Observational-transversal study. Thirty smoking individuals and 30 non-smokers between the ages of 18 and 40 were included. A background survey was applied, and those who met the inclusion criteria signed the informed consent, and they were submitted to BUT, Schirmer with anesthesia, fluorescein staining and impression cytology. The Mann-Whitney, Chi-squared and prevalence ratio (PR) tests were performed. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> A statistically significant decrease in the quality of the tear film (p = 0.000) and significant increase in squamous metaplasia (p = 0.001) was found in the smokers’ group compared to the group of non-smokers. The prevalence of alterations in the tear film was 76.7 % in smokers (Quantity: 20 % and quality: 76.7 %). 60 % showed a change in the ocular surface (cornea: 10 % and squamous metaplasia: 56.7 %). A PR of 1.5 (95 % CI 0.94-2.0) was established between the habit of smoking and BUT, and a PR = 2.3 (95% CI 1.8-2.9) between the habit of smoking and degree of conjunctival squamous metaplasia. Conclusions: Cigarette consumption was associated with a decrease in the quality of the tear film and the increased conjunctival squamous metaplasia.

<em><strong>Introduction:</strong></em> the increase in strains resistant to antimicrobials in recent years may be due to their indiscriminate and excessive use. The World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance; however, the biggest limitation is a lack of reliable data in some countries. Studies such as the Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring in Ocular Microorganisms (ARMOR) (2009 and 2013) and the Tracking Resistance in the United States Today (TRUST) report that the most prevalent microorganism in infections worldwide is <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, with a high percentage of Methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (MRSA), which are of great importance for public health due to their high resistance to antimicrobials.<em><strong>Objetive:</strong></em> To identify the main antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacteria isolated from infections or from ocular microbiota.<em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> A systematic review of literature in EBSCOhost databases: Academic Search, Medline, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Springer, PubMed, and Google Academics, with keywords such as ocular, antimicrobial, and resistance, between 2010 and 2017.<em><strong>Results:</strong> </em>30 articles on antimicrobial resistance from the last seven years were analyzed. In most countries, the genus <em>Staphylococcus</em> (<em>S. aureus</em>, 45%, NEC, 37%), <em>Pseudomonas</em> (8%) and <em>Streptococcus</em> (7%) were predominant. The lowest percentages were <em>Corynebacterium</em> (2%) and <em>Klebsiella</em> (1%).<strong><em>Conclusions:</em></strong> Most of the ocular isolates reported in the global context show resistance to beta-lactams. Increased resistance to these antibiotics implies a serious therapeutic problem in the hospital setting.

Introducción: las soluciones multipropósito (SMP) para lentes de contacto blandos (LCB) desempeñan un papel esencial en la inhibición de agentes patógenos. Su efectividad antimicrobiana se evalúa in vitro, y su seguridad, in vivo, con ensayos clínicos que incluyen una combinación de diferentes soluciones y materiales para lentes. El objetivo es evaluar la biocompatibilidad de una nueva SMP producida en Colombia que contiene polihexametileno biguanida (PHMB) y determinar su actividad antimicrobiana. Materiales y métodos: estudio cruzado con 25 sujetos no usuarios de lentes, que fueron adaptados con cinco combinaciones diferentes de materiales de LCB con una nueva solución salina fisiológica de control (CS). El grosor corneal, la hiperemia conjuntival, la tinción corneal y la comodidad se evaluaron después de dos horas de uso del LC. La efectividad antimicrobiana se midió utilizando ensayos estándar ISO 14729. Resultados: solo hubo una diferencia significativa entre la nueva SMP y el CS para el Comfilcon A (p < 0.05). Tampoco hubo diferencias significativas para el grosor o la tinción corneal, entre la combinación del material del lente y la nueva SMP con el CS (p > 0.05). Después de dos horas de uso del lente, las puntuaciones de confort fueron superiores a 7.8. La SMP redujo las unidades formadoras de colonias (UFC) de bacterias en más de 3 log, y las UFC fúngicas en más de 1.0 log. Conclusiones: la nueva SMP cumplió con los estándares antimicrobianos de ISO 14729, y se considera segura y biocompatible con la superficie ocular, con altos niveles de confort.

Allergic conjunctivitis involves inflammatory and immune mediators that affect the structure and physiology of the lacrimal functional unit. <em><strong>Objective:</strong></em> To determine the alterations in the ocular surface and tear film in patients with allergic. <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> 3 groups of patients were studied: 20 eyes of patients with allergic conjunctivitis, 20 eyes without evident eye disease, 20 eyes with dry eye. Patients and controls attended the Optometry Clinic at the University of La Salle and signed informed consent before starting the investigation. Clinical diagnosis was made and the following tests performed: Schirmer test 2, test TBUT, biomicroscopy with fluorescein staining and rose bengal and conjunctival impression cytology. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> 85% of patients with allergic conjunctivitis were positive for rose bengal, 50% had squamous metaplasia and 5% positive corneal fluorescein staining. Of these patients, 82.3% presented alterations in TBUT and 23.5% Schirmer test. <em><strong>Conclusions:</strong></em> The majority of allergic patients have alterations in the conjunctival epithelium and reduced quality of the tear film. Conjunctival epithelial damage in patients with allergic conjunctivitis, affects the stability of the tear film.

<p>Los estuches y lentes de contacto (LC) contaminados constituyen reservorios de microorganismos que pueden ocasionar complicaciones oculares severas. Las bacterias más frecuentemente aisladas de los depósitos en LC y estuches son estafilococos coagulasa negativos (ECN), Pseudomonas aeruginosa y Serratia marcescens. Esta última, es un bacilo Gram negativo aerobio facultativo, que ocasiona conjuntivitis purulenta, queratitis, escleritis y endoftalmitis. En este reporte de caso, se analiza la contaminación microbiológica de un lente de contacto desechable con sobreuso. El paciente acudió a la consulta de optometría por incomodidad y molestia causada por el lente, la cual se prolongó por un tiempo de cuatro semanas. En la biomicroscopía se detectaron depósitos orgánicos en el LC derecho y queratitis superficial aguda. El lente fue enviado al laboratorio para la identificación microbiológica y para pruebas de susceptibilidad antimicrobiana. Se identificó Serratia marcescens, resistente a tobramicina, amoxicilina, ácido clavulánico y ampicilina. Se destaca la importancia de la identificación microbiólogica para el manejo clínico de estos pacientes y la necesidad de promover la educación en la limpieza y conservación de los LC</p>

Dry eye is characterized by a deficiency in the quantity or quality of the lachrymal film, which implies histological changes in the surface of the eye such as squamous metaplasia. The purpose was to determine the degree of the squamous metaplasia in the conjunctiva surface in patients with dry eye with different degrees of clinical severity. <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> 63 eyes diagnosed with light, moderate and severe dry eye and 20 eyes like controls subject were made impression cytology in the temporal and nasal bulbar conjunctiva with membranes of biopore (Millipore PICM012550). Membranes were fixed with ethanol at 96% and colored with periodic acid of Shiffhematoxylin, and they were mounted between slide and small slide with Entellan. The degree of squamous metaplasia was determined regarding the number of goblet cells and the morphologic changes of epithelial cells, using the Murube and Rivas grading. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> approximately half of the patients with light dry eye (49%) presented a degree 1 of squamous metaplasia, 53.8% of the patients with moderate dry eye presented a degree 2 and the 57.1% of the patients with severe dry eye presented a degree 3. Conclusions: the degree of squamous metaplasia by cytology of impression is easily evidenced in patients with moderate and severe dry eye, which contributes to the configuration of the clinical diagnosis and the follow up of the disease.

Dry eye is one of the most common complications of refractive surgery, persists for 6 months or more after Lasik. <em><strong>Objective:</strong></em> to evaluate the cytological changes in the conjunctiva after Lasik surgery and its relationship with the degree of severity of dry eye. <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> twenty five patients (50 eyes) to whom underwent Lasik surgery at the clinic Optilaser SA were evaluated before surgery, one month and three months after Lasik with the following tests: TBUT, Schirmer test, slit lamp and symptoms questionnaire for diagnosis and severity of dry eye and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC), the smears were stained with PAS-hematoxylin to determine the degree of squamous metaplasia. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> in preoperative to 8% of patients had moderate dry eye, a month after surgery 48% had moderate to severe dry eye, three months, the percentage was similar (44%). Before surgery, the 8% of eyes had an altered CIC, one month and three months, 65,3% of patients had some degree of squamous metaplasia (X2 = 0,000). In the first control, CIC had altered: 77,8% non-dry eye, 57,1% with mild dry eye, 59,1% with moderate dry eye and 100% of severe dry eye. On the third month after surgery was similar, 57,1% of mild dry eyes, 78,6% of moderate dry eyes and 100% of squamous metaplasia had severe grade 2, 3 and 4. <em><strong>Conclusion:</strong></em> severity of cytological changes was increased significantly each month and third month after surgery. The alteration of the conjunctival epithelium, contributes to the pathogenesis of dry eye induced by refractive surgery.

Bacteria are the most frequent contaminants in contact lenses. <em><strong>Objective:</strong></em> The aim of this study is to identify the type of microbiological deposits in worn soft contact lenses. Materials and <em><strong>Methods:</strong></em> 100 soft contact lenses from wearers or used in the optical shops were collected, 25 for each group of the Food and Drugs Administrations, (FDA) (group 1, 2, 3, and 4 according to water content and polymer ionicity). Contact lenses were stored for 20 days in their respective individual cases. Each lens was directly observed in a slit lamp to classify visible deposits according to RUDKO criterion, blue lactophenol direct examination and microbiological cultures. <em><strong>Results:</strong></em> According to the Food and Drugs Administrations groups, the microbial contamination in group 1 was 80% (20/25) with bacteria and 8% (2/25) with fungi. In group 2 was 88% (22/25) with bacteria, and 4% (1/25) with fungi. In group 3 was 72% (18/25) with bacteria, and 20% (5/25) with fungi. In group 4 was 80% (20/25) with bacteria, and 12% (3/25) with fungi. Fungi presence was always concomitant with bacteria. According to Rudko criterion 43.2% of category I lenses (17/37) had microbiological contamination with bacteria or fungi. 100% of category II lenses (56/56) and category IV lenses (7/7) were contaminated. The most frequent type of bacteria identified in the culture was bacillus and gram-negative coccobacillus. Conclusions: gram-negative bacilli were the microorganisms most found in worn soft contact lenses after 20 days of storage.

Según las estimaciones más recientes de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), cerca de 314 millones de personas en el mundo presentan discapacidad visual, debido a enfermedades oculares o a errores de refracción no corregidos. De estas personas, 45 millones son ciegos y el 90 % vive en países con ingresos bajos. Las principales causas de ceguera son catarata (39 %), errores refractivos no corregidos (18 %), glaucoma (10 %), degeneración macular asociada a la edad (7 %), opacidad corneal (4 %), retinopatía diabética (4 %), tracoma (3 %), afecciones oculares infantiles (3 %) y oncocercosis (0,7 %).