title: Evaluation of glutaraldehyde and povidone iodine for sterilization of wide-field contact vitrectomy lenses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Wide-field vitrectomy contact lenses are currently sterilized with ethylene oxide gas, and other lenses with autoclaving. To maintain a large inventory or possibly run the risk of loss of lens quality with repeated autoclaving, glutaraldehyde 2% and povidone iodine 5% solution were evaluated as possible sterilizing agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ethylene oxide presterilized lenses were contaminated with known concentrations (10(5) organisms/mL) of bacteria (S. epidemidis, P. aeruginosa, B. subtilis), and fungi (A. flavus, C. albicans) for 5 minutes. The test lenses were treated with glutaraldehyde or povidone iodine for 5, 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes, and controls with sterilized water for a similar duration. Following treatment, both test and control lenses were sampled with sterile cotton swabs. The swabs were cultured for bacteria (tryptone soya broth 48 hours), and fungi (Saubourd's dextrose broth 5 days).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The culture was negative for both glutaraldehyde- and povidone iodine-treated lenses against all organisms at all time points except B subtilis, which needed 120 minutes treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two hours contact time with glutaraldehyde 2% or providone iodine 5% can sterilize vitrectomy contact lenses against common bacteria and fungi without affecting lens quality.
authors.affiliation: Kanuri Santhamma Retina Vitreous Center, Hyderabad, India. tpd@lvpeye.steph.net
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Chalam
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D005976:Glutaral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses / Q000382:microbiology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; D005976:Glutaral