Medical History, Clinical Features, Treatment Outcome and Its Predictors Among Infectious Keratitis Patients in Jimma University Medical Center, Southwest Ethiopia: Prospective Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Infectious keratitis is a major global cause of visual impairment and irreversible blindness among the corneal diseases. Its diagnosis and management remain getting challenge. The clinical and visual outcome remains poor in developing countries. The aim of this study was to determine treatment outcome and its predictors among patients with infectious keratitis. METHODS: Prospective observational study was conducted among adult patients diagnosed with infectious keratitis at the Ophthalmology Department in Jimma University Medical Center from April 1 to September 30, 2019. The primary outcome indicator was response of the ulcer to empirical treatment. Ulcers that did not heal and required surgery had a poor outcome. Variables with a p-value of <0.25 were entered into a multivariate logistic regression model to determine the independent predictors of poor treatment outcome and variables with a p-value of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The research involved 131 adult patients. Eighty-seven (66.4%) were males. The mean age was 39.38 (±18.9) years. Eighty-three (63.4%) patients had poor treatment outcome. Mean length of hospital stay was 17.38 (±12.563) days. Poor visual outcome was observed among 71 (54.2%) participants. Evisceration was done for seven (5.3%) patients. Independent predictors of poor treatment outcome include perforation at admission (AOR=6.1, 95%CI: 1.5–25.1), presence of comorbidity (AOR=7.7, 95%CI: 2.16–27.3), poor adherence (AOR=5.3, 95%CI: 1.8–25.9), traditional medicine use (AOR=6.7, 95%CI: 1.8–25.4), ulcer depth >1/3 (AOR=7.6, 95%CI: 2.48–48.23) and farm workers (AOR=3.59, 95%CI: 1.09–11.77). Major complications occurred after admissions were perforation (14.5%), followed by endophthalmitis (7.63%) and corneal opacity (6.87%). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Our study found high poor treatment outcomes and high poor visual outcomes. Presence of comorbidity, perforation at admission, traditional medicine use, working on a farm, poor adherence, and ulcer depth were the predictors of poor treatment outcome. This high poor outcome requires a nationwide interventional study and urgent intervention that may reach rural communities.