Bacterial contamination of donor corneas

Bacterial contamination was studied in 146 donor corneas stored in McCarey-Kaufman (M-K) medium at 4 degrees C. Ninety-six corneas from 48 respirator connected donors were compared with other donor corneas. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the major contaminant. Cultures were more often positive and mixed flora more frequently present in donors who had been on a respirator prior to excision of the corneas. The contamination by bacteria other than Staphylococcus epidermidis and by mixed growth was the leading cause for excluding donor corneas. No case of bacterial endophthalmitis was encountered among 66 recipients, 40 of whom obtained a respirator connected donor cornea.