Assessment of bacterial contamination of three multidose ophthalmic solutions.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the frequency of bacterial contamination of multidose proparacaine hydrochloride, tropicamide, and eyewash bottles used in veterinary ophthalmology examination rooms during normal operating procedures.


METHODS
Three representative bottles each of proparacaine hydrochloride, tropicamide, and purified water eye wash were opened at the same time, numbered, and placed into small animal examination rooms. Doctors, students and technicians who were using the solutions were blinded to the study. Aerobic cultures were obtained at the time of opening (time 0), at 1 week (time 1), and at 2 weeks after opening (time 2) the bottles. The sites cultured included a drop of each solution, the inside of the bottle cap, the tip of the bottle, and the bottle threads and medication residue found in these threads.


RESULTS
Aerobic cultures of tropicamide and proparacaine had no growth of bacteria from any of the evaluated sites. Staphylococcus epidermidis was cultured from the tip of one bottle of eye wash after 1 week.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that proparacaine, tropicamide, and eyewash solutions used in veterinary examination rooms are adequately preserved for use in ophthalmic examination. They have a low level of bacterial contamination 1 or 2 weeks after opening when used and stored according to the recommendations of the product manufacturers and previous studies.
Betbeze
Caroline M
CM
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA. cbetbeze@purdue.edu
Stiles
Jean
J
Krohne
Sheryl G
SG
D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000818:Animals; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological / Q000662:veterinary; D004340:Drug Contamination; D004355:Drug Stability; D004356:Drug Storage; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D009184:Mydriatics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011430:Propoxycaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014331:Tropicamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D014867:Water / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D009184:Mydriatics; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D014867:Water; C005717:proxymetacaine; D011430:Propoxycaine; D014331:Tropicamide