DOI: 10.3928/1081597x-19950501-14 ISSN: 1081-597X

Survival of Streptococcus in Optisol-GS Medium

Andrea C. Varner, Larry F. Rich, Barbara L. Crow, Scott MacRae
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Background:

Donor cornea contamination as a cause of endophthalmitis is one of the most serious complications of penetrating keratoplasty. Optisol-GS corneal storage medium with the combination of gentamicin and streptomycin was designed to provide wider antibiotic coverage, most notably against streptococcal species. However, many enterococci are resistant to streptomycin and genta micin.

Methods/Results:

We report a case in which Enterococcus faecium was isolated from cultures of the donor limbus prior to corneal excision and again from preoperative cultures of the donor corneal rim despite 5 days of preservation in Optisol-GS. The isolate was found to be resistant to both gentamicin and streptomycin.

Conclusions:

This case illustrates the need to raise awareness that streptococcus can remain a viable contaminant of donor corneas despite storage in Optisol-GS medium. [ J Refract Surg . 1995;11:207–209.]

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