[Bacterial contamination: epidemiology in cataract surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate anterior chamber (AC) bacterial contamination at the end of cataract surgery in a large series of patients, to determine the influence of operative technique on ocular contamination.


METHODS
Retrospective study of 2,624 patients undergoing cataract extraction, 354 extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and 2,270 phacoemulsification. Anterior chamber aspirates were performed on completion of surgery for microbiological studies.


RESULTS
One hundred and thirty two patients (5%) had culture-positive anterior chamber aspirates. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Propionibacterium sp. and Corynebacterium sp. were the most commonly isolated organisms. The AC contamination rates during ECCE (5.6%) and phacoemulsification (4.7%) were not statistically different. There was a statistically significantly higher risk of AC contamination in eyes receiving an intraocular lens (IOL) with polypropylene haptics (9.9%) than in eyes receiving the same IOL with polymethylmethacrylate haptics (4.4%).


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical technique had no statistically significant effect on ocular contamination. Polypropylene haptics IOLs were associated with a higher risk of bacterial contamination.
Service d'Ophtalmologie, CHI, 40, allée de la source, 94195 Villeneuve-St-Georges Cedex.
J
J
Feys
J-P
JP
Emond
A
A
Salvanet-Bouccara
A
A
Dublanchet
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D001672:Biocompatible Materials