Corneal decompensation after intraocular ophthalmic surgery--Missouri, 1998.
During January 8-14, 1998, six of eight patients undergoing elective intraocular surgery at a Veterans Affairs medical center (VAMC) in St. Louis, Missouri, developed corneal endothelial decompensation (corneal edema and opacification) < or =24 hours after surgery. All had been operated on with instruments sterilized by the Abtox Plazlyte system (Abtox, Inc., Chicago, Illinois). This report summarizes the results of the investigation of these cases and indicates that using the Abtox Plazlyte system to sterilize opthalmologic surgical equipment led to corneal decompensation.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013242:Sterilization; D013525:Surgical Instruments