title: Evaluation of bacterial contamination rate of the anterior chamber during phacoemulsification surgery using an automated microbial detection system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the incidence of anterior chamber bacterial contamination during phacoemulsification surgery using an automated microbial detection system (BacT/Alert).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine eyes of 60 patients who had uneventful phacoemulsification surgery, enrolled in this prospective study. No prophylactic topical or systemic antibiotics were used before surgery. After antisepsis with povidone-iodine, two intraoperative anterior chamber aqueous samples were obtained, the first whilst entering anterior chamber, and the second at the end of surgery. BacT/Alert culture system was used to detect bacterial contamination in the aqueous samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Neither aqueous samples obtained at the beginning nor conclusion of the surgery was positive for microorganisms on BacT/Alert culture system. The rate of bacterial contamination during surgery was 0%. None of the eyes developed acute-onset endophthalmitis after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, no bacterial contamination of anterior chamber was observed during cataract surgery. This result shows that meticulous surgical preparation and technique can prevent anterior chamber contamination during phacoemulsification cataract surgery.
authors.affiliation: Nisa Hospital, Fatih cad, Cobancesme mah, Bahcelievler, Istanbul 34196, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kocak
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Basaksehir state hospital, Basaksehir, Istanbul 34306, Turkey.
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kocak
authors.affiliation: Nisa Hospital, Fatih cad, Cobancesme mah, Bahcelievler, Istanbul 34196, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bahri
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Teker
authors.affiliation: Nisa Hospital, Fatih cad, Cobancesme mah, Bahcelievler, Istanbul 34196, Turkey ; Department of Ophthalmology, Medipol University Hospital, Bagcılar, Istanbul 34214, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Nisa Hospital, Fatih cad, Cobancesme mah, Bahcelievler, Istanbul 34196, Turkey.
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Nisa Hospital, Fatih cad, Cobancesme mah, Bahcelievler, Istanbul 34196, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baybora
keywords: bacterial contamination; endophthalmitis; phacoemulsification