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Comparing Different Decontamination Procedures in Harvesting Human Donor Cornea
Peter Laubichler1, Nicole Arend1, Efstathios Vounotrypidis1
1a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
Current Eye Research
|January 15, 2016
Summary
A 3-minute bath in 0.75% povidone iodine effectively decontaminates postmortem donor eyes. Standard surgical hygiene during enucleation did not significantly reduce microbial contamination before this crucial step.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Microbiology
- Transplantation Science
Background:
- Postmortem donor eye procurement requires stringent hygiene to prevent microbial contamination.
- Current enucleation protocols aim to minimize germ load, but their effectiveness needs evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of standard hygiene practices on microbial contamination during postmortem eye enucleation.
- To identify the most effective decontamination steps for donor eyes.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study involving 184 postmortem human eyes.
- Microbial swabs were collected at various stages: pre-intervention, post-disinfection, post-transport, and pre-corneoscleral disc preparation.
- Eyes were divided into two groups, with one receiving accessory mucosal disinfectant.
Main Results:
- All eyes were contaminated before povidone iodine treatment.
- A 3-minute bath in 0.75% povidone iodine significantly reduced contamination (1/184 eyes).
- Accessory mucosal disinfectant in Group A led to corneal epithelial erosion, unlike Group B.
Conclusions:
- Standard aseptic enucleation procedures alone do not guarantee microbial decontamination.
- The most effective method for decontaminating donor eyes is a minimum 3-minute immersion in 0.75% povidone iodine solution.
