Reducing Contamination When Removing and Storing Corneas: A Multidisciplinary, Transversal, and Environmental Approach
- 1 February 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Cornea
- Vol. 25 (2), 185-192
- https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ico.0000170688.44782.8d
Abstract
The combination of a shortage of cornea grafts in France and a national average contamination rate of 9% to 10%, has led us to search for the origins of this contamination. The objective of our study was to reduce the number of unusable grafts resulting from contamination of corneas in organ culture. An external audit was carried out by an independent pharmacist on the removal conditions and treatment procedures for corneas. An environmental study was carried out, consisting of microbiological sampling of the corneas of donors who just died (<24 hours) as well as water and air samples in the premises used for removal. The Cornea Bank's procedures were submitted to a microbiological risk analysis using the "failure mode effects and criticity analysis" (FMECA) method. The critical contamination periods were found to be before removal, during mortuary washing and during decontamination of the conjunctival cul-de-sac at the removal stage. The corrective measures taken have reduced contamination rates by half in 1 year. Highlighting the sources of contamination has led to the implementation of effective targeted and low-cost measures that have allowed us to reduce significantly the number of cornea graft losses as a result of bacterial and fungal contamination.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sensitivity and rapidity of blood culture bottles in the detection of cornea organ culture media contamination by bacteria and fungiBritish Journal of Ophthalmology, 2002
- Nosocomial Infections Caused by Sphingomonas paucimobilis: Clinical Features and Microbiological CharacteristicsClinical Infectious Diseases, 1998
- Microbial contamination of ‘sterile water’ used in Japanese hospitalsJournal of Hospital Infection, 1998
- Tracheal colonization with Sphingomonas paucimobilis in mechanically ventilated neonates due to contaminated ventilator temperature probesJournal of Hospital Infection, 1996
- Self‐induced bacteremiaAPMIS, 1995
- Successful treatment of Pseudomonas paucimobilis haemodialysis catheter-related sepsis without catheter removalHeart, 1994
- Infections with Pseudomonas paucimobilis: Report of Four Cases and ReviewClinical Infectious Diseases, 1991
- Pseudomonas paucimobilis in purified water for hospital useJournal of Hospital Infection, 1989
- "Agrobacterium yellow group" and Pseudomonas paucimobilis causing peritonitis in patients receiving continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.Journal of Clinical Pathology, 1985