Contamination of multi dose eyedrops in the intra and perioperative context

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Microbiology
• Healthcare Infection Control

Background:

• Multi-dose ophthalmic solutions are frequently used in surgical settings.
• Maintaining sterility of ophthalmic preparations is critical to prevent ocular infections.
• Previous data on contamination rates of multi-dose eye drops in operating theatres is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the contamination rate of multi-dose ophthalmic solutions in the operating theatre.
• To assess the risk of infection associated with contaminated eye drops.
• To evaluate the microbiological load on dispenser bottle tips.

Main Methods:

• Collection of 245 samples of multi-dose eye drop bottles from the operating theatre.
• Microbiological analysis of dispenser bottle tips.
• Sampling conducted between June 2018 and January 2019 at the University Eye Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf.

Main Results:

• A low contamination rate of 2% was observed on the dropper tips of multi-dose eye drop bottles.
• Despite the low prevalence, contamination was detected even in a controlled operating theatre environment.
• This indicates a potential risk of microbial contamination during ophthalmic procedures.

Conclusions:

• Multi-dose ophthalmic solutions can become contaminated despite use by healthcare professionals in sterile environments.
• The study highlights the possibility of microbial contamination of eye drops during pre- and intraoperative care.
• A recommendation is made for the exclusive use of single-dose eye drops in the pre- and intraoperative context to minimize infection risk.