Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
Intravitreal Injection and Quantitation of Infection Parameters in a Mouse Model of Bacterial Endophthalmitis
Published on: February 6, 2021
[Bacterial contamination of needles after intravitreal injection in Paraguay]
J C Gines1, M M Nentwich, A H Peggy Bedoya
1Augenklinik der LMU, Klinikum der Universität München, Campus Innenstadt, Mathildenstrasse 8, Munich, Germany.
Purpose:
The study was designed to prospectively evaluate the bacterial contamination of needles used for intravitreal injection during surgery.
Material And Methods:
Between December 2007 and December 2010, 549 eyes of 413 patients were treated with intravitreal injections of 1.25 mg bevacizumab. Of the patients 322 received a single injection and 91 multiple injections. Preoperatively the periorbital skin of all patients was treated with 10% povidone iodine (PVI) and the conjunctival sac was irrigated with 1% PVI. No pre-injection antibiotics were administered. Immediately after the injection the needles were rinsed 3 times in thioglycolate broth which was then cultured at 37°C for 5 days. As a negative control 73 sterile unused needles were treated in the same way.
Results:
Out of the 549 needle points tested 8 (1,45%) were found to be contaminated after intravitreal injections. The isolated bacteria were coagulase negative Staphylococcus (n = 7), Propionibacterium acnes (n = 1) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1) (co-contamination in one case).
Conclusion:
Contamination of needles is minimal after prophylactic povidone iodine irrigation before intravitreal injections. Therefore, this prophylaxis technique is recommended before intravitreal injections in order to prevent postoperative infections.
