title: Infection risk from surgeons' eyeglasses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess bacterial contamination of 20 eyeglasses from surgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 samples were taken from the nose pad (n=20) and earpiece (n=20) of 20 eyeglasses from orthopaedic surgeons using a sterile swab stick soaked in sterile distilled water. Swabs were incubated and inoculated onto 3 plates: Staphylococcus/Streptococcus agar plate, Mannitol salt plate, and Chromogenic agar plate. Organisms isolated were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 20 eyeglasses, 19 were contaminated with Staphylococcus epidermidis (3 of them additionally grew S haemolyticus or S xylosus) and the remaining one grew S aureus .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eyeglasses are a source of surgical infection. Contamination can be caused by direct contact of the eyeglasses to the wound and indirect contact by the surgeon's fingers, splashes from saline irrigation, and through air. Therefore, disinfection should be performed for eyeglasses of surgeons. The use of surgical visor masks or filtered exhaust helmets (space suits) are alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yeovil Hospital, Somerset, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Umer
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: Urfan
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Saleem
authors.forename: Kamran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yousuf
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: El-Bouni
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chambler
authors.forename: Ahmed Shawky
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Eid
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005139:Eyeglasses / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009985:Orthopedics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*