title: Comparing Different Decontamination Procedures in Harvesting Human Donor Cornea.
abstract: To evaluate the effects of current hygiene standards for the enucleation of postmortem eyes by investigating the number of microorganisms during subsequent steps of decontamination and tissue processing.
  
  
  
  This prospective, non-randomized cohort study includes 184 postmortem eyes of 92 human donors. Enucleation was performed, according to an ophthalmic surgical procedure. Two groups were generated as follows: right eyes were allocated to group A, left eyes were allocated to group B. In group A, a mucosal disinfectant was used accessorily. Conjunctival smears were taken to examine germ load in both groups before any intervention, in group A after mucosal disinfection, in both groups after transportation of the whole globes in transport fluid, and in both groups after a bath in 0.75% povidone iodine solution for at least 3 minutes just before preparation of the corneoscleral disc. Smears were sent to the local microbiologic laboratory in an aseptic package for testing.
  
  
  
  All smears showed multiple contaminations (n = 184/184 eyes) before treatment with povidone iodine solution. Contamination was in both groups significantly prevented using the treatment strategy of an at least 3-minute bath in 0.75% povidone iodine solution (n = 1/184 eyes; p < 0.01) As a side effect, almost every eye of group A and none of group B showed brown iodine staining corresponding to corneal epithelial erosion.
  
  
  
  An aseptic setting for donor enucleation similar to a surgical procedure seems not to influence the outcome of germ colonization. The most effective step to decontaminate donor eyes is to use 0.75% povidone iodine solution for at least 3 minutes.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laubichler
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arend
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Efstathios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vounotrypidis
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wertheimer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.|b Bayerische Gewebebank GmbH, Sektion Hornhautbank , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.|b Bayerische Gewebebank GmbH, Sektion Hornhautbank , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Alice L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Ophthalmology , Goethe-Universität-Frankfurt , Frankfurt am Main , Germany.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Remy
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Herminia Minõ
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: de Kaspar
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.|b Bayerische Gewebebank GmbH, Sektion Hornhautbank , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Anselm
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kampik
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Ludwig-Maximilians-University , Munich , Germany.|b Bayerische Gewebebank GmbH, Sektion Hornhautbank , Munich , Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kook
mesh_terms: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000494:pharmacology; D003315:Cornea / Q000187:drug effects*; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D005125:Eye Banks; D015817:Eye Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D011206:Povidone-Iodine
keywords: Corneal transplantation; decontamination; enucleation; eye bank; povidone iodine