Comparative antimicrobial efficacy of multi-purpose hydrogel lens care solutions

Ten single-bottle multipurpose hydrogel lens care solutions commercially available in the European market were evaluated for antimicrobial efficacy using the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Stand-Alone Procedure. The results of this study indicate that ReNu Multi Plus ReNu Multi Purpose, Complete and DUA meet the ISO Stand-Alone primary acceptance criteria for stand-alone disinfectants against all challenge organisms: Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Fusarium solani. Solo-Care Soft, All-In-One Light, Optiplus, Opti Free Express, UniCare and Combi Comfort do not meet the ISO Stand-Alone primary acceptance criteria for one or more test organisms within their respective labelled minimum disinfection times. In addition, although not a requirement of the guidance document, only ReNu MultiPlus and ReNu Multi-Purpose exceeded the minimum ISO Stand Alone primary acceptance criteria within 25% (1 h) of their labelled minimum disinfection time for all test organisms. This evaluation provides a direct comparison of antimicrobial activity for commercially available multipurpose lens care solutions at their labelled minimum disinfection times. The results of this study should be considered when selecting appropriate lens care systems for patients.