Efficacy of hand washing procedures on bacterial contamination of hydrogel contact lenses

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Microbiology
• Infection Control

Background:

• Hydrogel contact lens wear is common, necessitating rigorous hygiene practices.
• Hand contamination poses a risk for microbial transfer to contact lenses.
• Previous research on hand washing efficacy for contact lens safety is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of different hand washing methods on bacterial transfer to hydrogel contact lenses.
• To identify effective hand hygiene strategies for reducing microbial contamination of contact lenses.

Main Methods:

• 47 subjects performed five distinct hand washing procedures.
• Subjects handled sterile hydrogel contact lenses after each washing regimen.
• Contact lenses were cultured to quantify colony-forming units (CFUs) and identify microbial species.

Main Results:

• Hand washing with water, soap and water, or soap and water with towel drying resulted in higher CFUs compared to no hand washing.
• Soap and water washing followed by an alcohol wipe showed no significant difference in CFUs compared to no hand washing.
• Staphylococcus epidermidis was the predominant bacterial contaminant identified.

Conclusions:

• Routine hand washing alone may increase, rather than decrease, bacterial transfer to hydrogel contact lenses.
• Using an alcohol wipe post-hand washing effectively mitigates bacterial transfer.
• While hand washing is vital for removing pathogens, additional steps like alcohol wiping are recommended for contact lens wearers.