Changing referral patterns of infectious corneal ulcers to a tertiary care facility in south India - 7-year analysis.

Purpose: To report changing trends in referral patterns of microbial keratitis evidenced by laboratory results of culture-positive cases from a tertiary eye-care hospital in south India.

Methods: All patients presenting with microbial (nonviral) keratitis to the cornea services of Aravind Eye Hospital from 2003 to 2009 were identified from a computerized database. Microbiologic characteristics were recorded and annual distributions of causative organisms over the 7-year study period were compared.