Evaluation of antisseptic effects on the eye surface and the role of gentamicin in microbial control of donor corneas

Abstract

Decontamination of the surface of the donor eyeballs with antisepsis are effective, ensuring greater transplantation safety. This study evaluated the antiseptic effect in reducing the microbiota of the ocular globe of donors of corneas, with 5% povidone-iodine (right eye) and 0.05% chlorhexidine gluconate (left eye). In the action times of 5, 10 and 15 minutes, and the susceptibility profile of the microbiota isolated from gentamicin. Swabs were collected from the ocular surface before application of the solutions, after and at the time of preservation of the corneal tissue. After identification of the microbiota, an antibiogram test was performed with gentamicin. There was a reduction of 39, 5% in the total of gram-positive bacteria, and of 76, 5% in the gram-negative bacteria, and 1.7% fungi, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.183), which demonstrated that the bacterial elimination capacity of the antiseptics was similar. Both were more effective for gram negative bacteria, with a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). In the third collection, after the residual effect of the antiseptics, there was a reduction of 99.1% of all the microorganisms. In the antibiogram test, 88% of the isolated microorganisms were sensitive to gentamicin. The use of antiseptics is essential for the effective decontamination of donated corneas prior to preservation and the residual time of the antiseptics increased the decontamination power of povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine gluconate, being similar in reducing the microbiota of the ocular globe of the donor of corneas. Gentamicin contained in the cornea preservation medium complements the antisepsis of the donated tissues.