title: Potential bacterial contamination in fluorescein-anesthetic solutions.
abstract: To determine the ability of fluorescein-anesthetic combination solutions and their applicators to regain sterility, we contaminated four commercially available fluorescein-anesthetic solutions and their dropper tips with inocula of either Pseudomonas species or Staphylococcus species. No organisms could be cultured from Fluress one minute after inoculation of the solution or five minutes after inoculation of the dropper tip. In contrast, organisms were cultured from the other fluorescein-anesthetic preparations for at least one hour after bacterial inoculation into the solution or onto the dropper tip. These differences in the ability of fluorescein-anesthetic solutions to regain sterility after bacterial contamination were statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Florida.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Duffner
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pflugfelder
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mandelbaum
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Childress
mesh_terms: D000777:Anesthetics; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004203:Disinfection; D004340:Drug Contamination; D019793:Fluorescein; D005452:Fluoresceins; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D005452:Fluoresceins; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D019793:Fluorescein