An outbreak of endophthalmitis after extracapsular cataract surgery probably caused by endotoxin contaminated distilled water used to dissolve acetylcholine.
OBJECTIVE
To study possible causes of an outbreak of severe endophthalmitis after planned extracapsular cataract surgery in Medan, Indonesia.


METHODS
In a 3 week period in November 2001, 17 of 43 patients developed signs of endophthalmitis after planned extracapsular cataract surgery. A search for possible causes was undertaken 4 months later.


RESULTS
In autoclaved stored distilled water used to dissolve acetylcholine (used in 16 of 17 patients with endophthalmitis) a high amount of endotoxin was detected in a human blood essay, as well as a small number of non-typeable Pseudomonas spp.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that distilled water used as solvent for acetylcholine was responsible for this outbreak of endophthalmitis. As a consequence, we now rely on solvents that are regularly checked for impurities such as an intravenous infusion fluid, rather than on vials with distilled water that is presumed to be sterile and kept for some time.
Boks
T
T
Logi Ster BV, Sliedrecht, Netherlands.
van Dissel
J T
JT
Teterissa
N
N
Ros
F
F
Mahmut
M H
MH
Utama
E D
ED
Rol
M
M
van Asdonk
P
P
Airiani
S
S
van Meurs
J C
JC