Contamination of corneal tissue from infected donors
M. E. Chittum, R. D. Grutzmacher, D. M. Oiland and R. E. Kalina
Thirty-two corneas with scleral rims were cultured from the eyes of 17
cadavers that harbored systemic infection at the time of death. Twelve
(71%) of 17 cadavers demonstrated corneal contamination from one or both
corneas. Eleven (92%) of 12 donors with positive postmortem blood cultures
had positive corneal cultures from at least one eye. Six of these 12 had
the same organism isolated from both the blood and corneal tissue.
Bacterial corneal cultures were negative in the five donors with negative
postmortem blood cultures. Control cultures were obtained from 19 eyes of
ten donors without evidence of infection at death. Four (21%) of 19 control
eyes yielded Staphylococcus epidermidis. There was a significantly higher
incidence of corneal contamination in donors who died with systemic
infections. Eye banks should continue to screen donors carefully for
documented or suspected sepsis in an effort to reduce the incidence of
postkeratoplasty infections.
