Comparing Different Decontamination Procedures in Harvesting XXXX Donor Cornea.

@entity1 @entity1496 @entity1797 @entity33 @entity4279
PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of current hygiene standards for the enucleation of postmortem eyes by investigating the number of microorganisms during subsequent steps of decontamination and tissue processing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, non-randomized cohort study includes 184 postmortem eyes of 92 @entity1 donors. Enucleation was performed, according to an ophthalmic surgical procedure. Two groups were generated as follows: right eyes were allocated to group A, left eyes were allocated to group B. In group A, a @entity33 was used accessorily. Conjunctival smears were taken to examine germ load in both groups before any intervention, in group A after @entity33 , in both groups after transportation of the whole globes in transport fluid, and in both groups after a bath in 0.75% @entity4279 solution for at least 3 minutes just before preparation of the @entity1797 . Smears were sent to the local microbiologic laboratory in an aseptic package for testing. RESULTS: All smears showed multiple contaminations (n = 184/184 eyes) before treatment with @entity4279 solution. Contamination was in both groups significantly prevented using the treatment strategy of an at least 3-minute bath in 0.75% @entity4279 solution (n = 1/184 eyes; p < 0.01) As a side effect, almost every eye of group A and none of group B showed brown @entity1496 staining corresponding to corneal epithelial erosion. CONCLUSIONS: An aseptic setting for donor enucleation similar to a surgical procedure seems not to influence the outcome of germ colonization. The most effective step to decontaminate donor eyes is to use 0.75% @entity4279 solution for at least 3 minutes.
