title: The survival of herpes simplex virus in multidose office ophthalmic solutions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the survival of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in several multidose ophthalmic solutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In three separate trials, 10 aliquots of 5 ml each of three common multidose topical ophthalmic solutions, sodium fluorescein, proparacaine, and nonpreserved artificial tears, were inoculated with 10(5), 10(4), and 10(3) pfu per ml of HSV-1. All samples were titered on A549 cells at various time points for surviving HSV-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Herpes simplex virus type 1 was not recovered from the fluorescein and proparacaine solutions at 1 hour or any time thereafter, regardless of inoculation titer. Herpes simplex virus type 1 was recovered from the artificial tears up to 7 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike adenovirus, HSV-1 does not survive in preserved fluorescein and proparacaine multidose solutions; therefore, office transmission is highly unlikely.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, USA. ericr@vision.eei.upmc.edu
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Romanowski
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Barnhorst
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: Y J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D002724:Chlorobutanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004340:Drug Contamination; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007536:Isomerism; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical / Q000494:pharmacology; D011430:Propoxycaine / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001548:Benzalkonium Compounds; D004338:Drug Combinations; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011310:Preservatives, Pharmaceutical; C005717:proxymetacaine; D011430:Propoxycaine; D002724:Chlorobutanol; D019793:Fluorescein