eye infection

[kris7167]

In October 2007. I had a sinus surgery. I had acinetobacter infection for four months afterwards. Antibiotics did not help. I finally cleared the infection in my sinuses with alternative medicines. I have had swellings beneath both eyes, and discharge from both since the surgery. I have had a sty in one eye for over a year. My monocyte count has been consistently around 12-13. An opthlmologist has told me I do not have an eye infection. He says the discharge is just mucous. He has not seen it. A GP has told me that the monoctye count is not significant. A naturopath has told me that monocytes indicate inflammation and not infection. She has prescribed fish oil. I believe I have acinetobacter infection in my eye sockets. Please help me figure this out. Thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I would not accept a diagnosis of anything you collected like that.

My suggestion is that you go to the best University Medical School Department of Ophthalmology that you can get to and put yourself in their care.

You also can use the search feature and find the top 10 Ophthalmology programs in the United States.

This is WAY over your GPs head.

JCH MD

[kris7167]

The eye infections continue. It has now been over a year and a half.

Since my last posting, I have seen an opthalmologist--she referred me to an occuloplastic surgeon because the right eye structure is caving in. The plastic surgeon referred me to an infectious disease specialist. The infectious disease specialist simply said, "I don't know what's wrong. Go somewhere else." None of these 3 doctors wanted to accept the klebsiella diagnosis because I had collected the pus onto a bottle cap (clean, never before used) myself, and taken it to the Urgent Care where they had put it on a swab.

With begging, the opthlmologist prescribed antibiotic. I cannot guarantee my eyes will be weeping infection at some appointed hour when I am in a doctor's office. The antibiotic cleared it up, but then it started all over. I have now been through three rounds of different antibiotics that were tested on the klebsiella sample. Always the infection cleared, and then started up, again.

I went to Urgent Care when my eyes were not weeping. They took a swab, and nothing cultured. I went to my GP--I had worked to keep the pus in my eyes all morning. Her culture produced staphylococcus. I am now on my second round of gentomycin. The gentomycin only makes the infection worse. I think it must be MRSA. I called the lab and no--they did not culture for MRSA.

I believe I had klebsiella, and the antibiotic cleared it, but I either also had MRSA, or developed it, after antibiotic treatment.

I have an appointment with my GP in one week. The problem, of course, is that I cannot guarantee there will be pus in my eyes at the appointed hour. Is there some way to test for MRSA--when it is in the eyes--if the eyes are not producing pus, in the moment?

I am sorry this post is so long. Thanks in advance.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[kris7167]

I hope I have picked a good one. She can't miss the problem as I am going with the lab report that states, "Klebsiella Pneumoniae--Heavy growth." I saw just one other opthalmoloist for this four times. He was familiar with my history. I  had brought him the lab reports from the surgery, many other reports, medication lists, etc. He knew about the acinetobacter infection. He and the other doctors I have seen since the surgery are all connected with a large well-respected university hospital. All my records are in the system that they can all access.

I feel that one doctor makes a mistake, and all the other doctors in the system read his diagnosis, and think it is written in stone. I feel the opthalmologist did not want to accept his mistake when I returned to him three more times with the same complaints, and the same huge swellings under my eyes. I asked, him, if I did not have an infection, what was the swelling? he said, "You just had surgery." I'd "just had surgery" 13 months earlier. I am going out of this system, now. Very upsetting.

I will try to follow your advice, and I thank you, again, for it.

  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[des900]

Try sticking to one good ophthalmologist,as new ophthalmologist dont known about your past conditions & medication history & they need to start from very beginning.

[kris7167]

I finally went to an Urgent Care. The doctor said it is definitely bacterial conjunctivitis and he did a culture. It is klebsiella. I have had this in my eyes for a year and half. The tissues around my eyes have been destroyed. One eye droops now. I am going to see a different opthalmologist.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[kris7167]

Thank you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I would call her "a MD who prescribes natural medicines".

JCH MD

[kris7167]

A little off the subject, but what do you call an MD who prescribes natural medicines? She's not a homeopathic doctor.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Yes you clearly mislabeled the MD  I know she would have been offended.
J

JCH MD

[kris7167]

Thank you for your help.

I probably shoudn't have called her a naturopath. She's an MD and works for the Integrative Medicine Dept. of a large hospital clinic.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

1. A naturopath has no standing inn the scientific community. Most scientists and MDs think that are cultists. My opinion also. Discount what they said.
2. It is very unlikely you have an actinobacter infection of the eye. So I would agree with the ophthalmologist you saw.
3. If the eye problem contineues see a cornea/external eye MD specialist.

JCH MD