Multiple use of preservative-free single dose unit dexamethasone 0.1% eye drops is safe within 24 hours

Unpreserved single-dose unit (SDU) eye drops are commonly used to avoid benzalkonium chloride-related toxicity. Although intended for single use, many patients report off-label repeated use of SDUs over a prolonged period. We investigated whether repeated use of dexamethasone 0.1% SDUs in the same patient increases the bacterial contamination rate.

We prospectively enrolled patients scheduled for inpatient corneal and glaucoma surgery receiving dexamethasone 0.1% SDU four times per day from the same vial. To assess contamination rates, one drop from the vial was cultured immediately after opening the SDU (t0), 10 hours later after four drop applications (t10) and 24 hours after opening without further drop applications (t24). Conjunctival swabs were taken before and after drop application. Contamination rate was assessed with a standard clinical culturing protocol without introducing a positive control.

110 eyes of 109 patients were evaluated. Drops collected immediately after opening the SDU (t0) were contaminated in 9/110 cultures (8.1%). At t10, 13/110 cultures were contaminated (11.8%; p=0.267) and 11/110 at t24 (10.0%; t24 vs t0; p=1.00). In 5 of 21 cases of contaminated drops at t10 and/or t24, the same isolates were cultured from the initial conjunctival swab and the SDU. In three cases, the same bacterial species was found in consecutive samples.

The contamination rate of the SDU did not increase after multiple use within 24 hours. Contamination from fingertip flora was more likely than from ocular surface flora. Reuse of dexamethasone 0.1% SDU in the same patient within 24 hours appears to be safe.