Validation of a multi‐species‐specific PCR panel to diagnose patients with suspected postoperative bacterial endophthalmitis

Currently, patients suspected of endophthalmitis are referred to a tertiary centre for a vitreous biopsy and bacterial culture, thereby causing a treatment delay for the intravitreal antibiotics injection. Performance of mm‐PCR was tested on biopsies from patients with suspected postoperative endophthalmitis with known bacterial culture results. mm‐PCR with pan-bacterial PCR as backup could be considered a diagnostic tool in patients with endophthalmitis, which would allow us to reverse the order of diagnosis and treatment while maintaining diagnostic surveillance, thereby preventing treatment delay.