Ecologic effects on eye banking.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the climatic conditions at corneal donation for microbial categories of postkeratoplasty endophthalmitis that have been reported to a national surveillance registry.


METHODS
Retrospective case-control study.


METHODS
Local weather information on the date of donor corneal procurement was tabulated for reported cases of endophthalmitis after penetrating keratoplasty and then compared between candidal endophthalmitis and postsurgical endophthalmitis that yielded bacteria or no microorganisms or that were not cultured.


RESULTS
Compared with other postkeratoplasty endophthalmitis, candidal endophthalmitis after corneal transplantation occurred significantly (P < .001) more often when outdoor afternoon temperatures exceeded 75 F at the source eye bank than on cooler days.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher exterior temperatures at donation may be associated with an increased relative risk of candidal transmission by keratoplasty, but a chain of causation that links the donor's environment to the recipient's infection remains to be elucidated.
Hassan
Sohela S
SS
Cullen Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. sohelah@bcm.tmc.edu
Wilhelmus
Kirk R
KR
D001831:Body Temperature; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002980:Climate; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005125:Eye Banks; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D015821:Eye Infections, Fungal / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D015948:Keratoplasty, Penetrating; D009926:Organ Preservation / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement