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Bacterial contamination of slit lamps in veterinary ophthalmology
Author(s) -
Casola Christina,
WinterKempf Evelyne,
Voelter Katrin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
veterinary ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.594
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1463-5224
pISSN - 1463-5216
DOI - 10.1111/vop.12658
Subject(s) - contamination , veterinary medicine , pathogenic bacteria , slit , medicine , microbiological culture , slit lamp , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , ophthalmology , ecology , genetics
Purpose Healthcare‐associated infection (HAI) is a well‐known problem in human medicine. The contamination of medical devices with pathogenic organisms is less studied in veterinary medicine. The purpose of this multicenter study was to evaluate the bacterial contamination of slit lamps throughout Europe and part of the United States. The efficacy of standard cleaning was additionally investigated. Methods Samples from adjustment wheels of slit lamps were taken by different veterinary ophthalmologists and submitted for culture (n = 29). The efficacy of cleaning protocols was evaluated by taking a second sample after routine cleaning (n = 29). Sensitivity testing was performed for pathogenic bacteria using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) or disc diffusion (Kirby‐Bauer) method. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. Results Seventeen of 29 slit lamps were contaminated before cleaning. The most frequently cultured bacteria were Staphylococcus spp. and coliform bacteria. Twelve of 29 slit lamps showed no bacterial growth before and after cleaning. There was a significant difference before and after cleaning ( P = 0.0008), with only 4/29 contaminated samples after cleaning. Conclusion Contamination with pathogenic bacterial species is frequent in slit lamps used by veterinary ophthalmologists. A risk of cross‐contamination in clinical patients has to be considered. Routine cleaning reduces bacterial contamination significantly.