J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1996 May;37(5):879-886.

Microbial Contamination of Topical Eye Drugs

• Lee YH
• Hahn YH
• Roh JH

Abstract

In order to evaluate contamination of the topical eye drugs, 112(36 kinds) medications used over 1 month by the patients and 80(25 kinds) medications used at OPD(outpatient department) were studied by culturing the caps, the tips and the contents. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was mainly isolated from the caps and the tips(p<0.05). But the other gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and fungi were isolated from all medication sites. The most frequent site of contamination was the tips of the medications. Frequency of contamination based on detail of medications and preservatives of medications was not statistically significant(p>0.05). The medications used by the patients for a long time in comparison with the medications used at OPD were significantly more likely to be contaminated(p<0.0001). Therefore, we think that the topical eye durgs should be used with proper instillation and storage for a short period because of increase risk of contamination.

Keyword

Contamination; Culturing; Medication sites; Topical eye drugs

MeSH Terms

Fungi
Gram-Negative Bacteria
Gram-Positive Bacteria
Humans
Staphylococcus