TY - JOUR
T1 - Microbial Contamination of In-Use Ocular Medications
AU - Schein, Oliver D.
AU - Hibberd, Patricia L.
AU - Starck, Tomy
AU - Baker, Ann S.
AU - Kenyon, Kenneth R.
PY - 1992/1
Y1 - 1992/1
N2 - Two hundred twenty in-use medications from 101 patients with nonmicrobial ocular surface disease were studied by culturing the bottle caps, a drop produced by simple inversion, and the interior contents removed sterilely. Conjunctival cultures were taken from these patients and 50 age-matched controls. Pathogenic organisms were harvested from conjunctivae significantly more frequently (P<.01) from cases (34 of 101) than from controls (five of 50). Sixty-four medications (29%) had microorganisms cultured from at least one medication site. Gram-negative organisms were significantly more likely (P<.00001) to be isolated from all medication sites than gram-positive organisms. Additionally, when isolated from medication sites, the gram-negative organisms were highly likely to be cultured from the conjunctiva as well. This was not true for pathogenic gram-positive organisms. We conclude that a cycle of contamination between inuse medications and conjunctivae may represent an important risk factor for microbial keratitis in patients with ocular surface disease.
AB - Two hundred twenty in-use medications from 101 patients with nonmicrobial ocular surface disease were studied by culturing the bottle caps, a drop produced by simple inversion, and the interior contents removed sterilely. Conjunctival cultures were taken from these patients and 50 age-matched controls. Pathogenic organisms were harvested from conjunctivae significantly more frequently (P<.01) from cases (34 of 101) than from controls (five of 50). Sixty-four medications (29%) had microorganisms cultured from at least one medication site. Gram-negative organisms were significantly more likely (P<.00001) to be isolated from all medication sites than gram-positive organisms. Additionally, when isolated from medication sites, the gram-negative organisms were highly likely to be cultured from the conjunctiva as well. This was not true for pathogenic gram-positive organisms. We conclude that a cycle of contamination between inuse medications and conjunctivae may represent an important risk factor for microbial keratitis in patients with ocular surface disease.
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U2 - 10.1001/archopht.1992.01080130084030
DO - 10.1001/archopht.1992.01080130084030
M3 - Article
C2 - 1731727
AN - SCOPUS:0026599183
SN - 0003-9950
VL - 110
SP - 82
EP - 85
JO - Archives of ophthalmology
JF - Archives of ophthalmology
IS - 1
ER -