Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyse the contamination rate of corneal samples stored in OCM at Lions Eye Bank of Western Australia over a 12-year period.

Methods: All OCM samples used to preserve corneas from 2011 to 2022 (inclusive) underwent microbiological testing. Samples were collected into aerobic and anaerobic culture bottles on day 3-5 of corneal preservation and 24 h after transfer to thinning medium. Samples were tested for 7 days using the BACTEC FX system. Corneas remained in quarantine until clearance was obtained.

Results: From 2011 to 2022, 3009 corneas were retrieved and 2756 corneas were stored in OCM. Thirty one (1.1%) positive samples were reported, with 20 growths of bacterial origin and 11 fungal. Microbial contamination was mostly identified on day 1 of culture (77.5%). Donors of contaminated samples had a mean age of 55 years, with 17 male and 14 female donors. The highest incidence of contamination came from donors whose cause of death was cancer. Death to enucleation times of contaminated samples ranged from 3.5 to 25.5 h (mean = 13.5 ± 7.3) and death to preservation time ranged from 4.1 to 27.5 h (mean = 14.8 ± 7.2). These did not significantly differ from the average time from death to enucleation (mean = 13.9 ± 3) and death to preservation (mean = 16.3 ± 4.2) of non-contaminated samples.

Conclusion: Microbiological screening of corneas stored in OCM at LEBWA showed a very low rate of positive cultures with no predictive donor characteristics.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10792-024-03223-5DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

corneas stored
12
2011 2022
12
stored ocm
12
microbiological screening
8
screening corneas
8
lions eye
8
eye bank
8
bank western
8
western australia
8
contaminated samples
8

Similar Publications

Objective: There is currently no systematic method of assessing limitations in performing corneal transplantation. The purpose of the study was to identify the limitations of performing corneal transplantation in India.

Design: Cross-sectional survey study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This report presents a case of fungal keratitis treated with penetrating keratoplasty using a cryopreserved cornea, highlighting the successful maintenance of corneal transparency post infection resolution.

Observations: A 57-year-old man complaining of pain in the right eye was referred to our hospital. Although diagnosed with fungal keratitis, his corneal scraping indicated the presence of , and he was unresponsive to voriconazole, micafungin, and pimaricin treatments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Globally there is a shortage of available donor corneas with only 1 cornea available for every 70 needed. A large limitation to corneal transplant surgery is access to quality donor tissue due to inadequate eye donation services and infrastructure in many countries, compounded by the fact that there are few available long-term storage solutions for effectively preserving spare donor corneas collected in countries with a surplus. In this study, we describe a novel technology termed low-temperature vacuum evaporation (LTVE) that can effectively dry-preserve surplus donor corneal tissue, allowing it to be stored for approximately 5 years, shipped at room temperature, and stored on hospital shelves before rehydration prior to ophthalmic surgery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of cornea transplantation (penetrating keratoplasty, Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty, Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty, and deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty) using donor corneas stored in Eusol-C hypothermic storage medium compared to corneas stored in organ-culture. : The clinical outcomes of 92 patients who underwent corneal transplantation with human donor corneas stored in Eusol-C medium at 2-8 °C were retrospectively evaluated. The control group consisted of 169 patients who received corneas organ-cultured at 31 °C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Expression of Yes-associated protein in endothelial cells of human corneas before and after storage in organ culture.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Laboratory of Biology, Engineering, and Imaging for Ophthalmology, BiiO, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jean Monnet, 10 rue de la Marandière, 42270, Saint-Priest en Jarez, France.

The cornea, the anterior meniscus-shaped transparent and refractive structure of the eyeball, is the first mechanical barrier of the eye. Its functionality heavily relies on the health of its endothelium, its most posterior layer. The treatment of corneal endothelial cells (CECs) deficiency is allogeneic corneal graft using stored donor corneas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!