1. In Vitro Efficacy of Contact Lens Solutions Against Various Corneal Fungal Isolates.
- Author
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Pinna, Antonio, Usai, Donatella, Zanetti, Stefania, Thomas, Philip A., and Kaliamurthy, Jayaraman
- Subjects
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CONTACT lens solutions , *KERATITIS , *DISINFECTION & disinfectants , *BIOLOGICAL decontamination , *HEALTH outcome assessment , *PREVENTION - Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the susceptibility of different fungal corneal isolates to commercially available contact lens disinfecting solutions. Methods: Thirteen filamentous fungal isolates (9 Aspergillus spp, 3 Fusarium spp, 1 Curvularia sp.) recovered from corneal infections were used. The following solutions were tested: Arion Cronos, Complete Revitalens, Dua Elite, Opti-Free Express, Regard, Oxysept Comfort, and Oxysept Comfort without catalase. Suspensions of the different fungal isolates were made in the solutions (106 colony-forming units/mL). After 1 h (Arion Cronos only), 6, 8, and 24 h, aliquots of suspension were removed and seeded on Sabouraud agar plates. Results: After a 6-h exposure, only 3% hydrogen peroxide-based Oxysept Comfort without catalase eradicated all the fungi tested. All the other solutions were partly ineffective at killing some of the fungal isolates, even after a 24-h exposure. The worst performance was given by Regard and Dua Elite, which, after a 6-h exposure, showed growth of 12 and 10 of the 13 fungal strains tested, respectively. Conclusions: Most contact lens disinfecting solutions may not be sufficiently effective, if contact lens care systems become contaminated with filamentous fungi. In our experiment, only an exposure to 3% hydrogen peroxide without a neutralizer for at least 6 h was always able to kill an inoculum of different fungal strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
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