Bacterial isolates, their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, and associated factors of external ocular infections among patients attending eye clinic at Debre Markos Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.

The prevalence of culture-confirmed bacteria among patients with EOI was high in the study area. A considerable proportion of bacterial isolates exhibited mono and/or multi-drug resistance. Age (15-64 years), being farmer, previous history of eye surgery and less frequency of face washing were significantly associated with the prevalence of culture-confirmed bacteria. Bacterial isolation and antibiotic susceptibility testing should be routinely performed in the study area to combat the emergence of antibiotic resistance.