Highlights
- •Efficacy of contact lens solutions was determined against keratitis-causing microbes.
- •Of the eight contact lens solutions tested, only three were effective in killing bacterial and fungal pathogens.
- •None of them showed any cysticidal effects.
- •These findings are of great concern for contact lens users.
- •Urgent interventions are needed by health officials and contact lens manufacturers, along with special guidelines for developing countries regarding the manufacture and storage of contact lens disinfecting solutions.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to assess the antimicrobial effects of marketed contact
lens disinfecting solutions.
Methods
Using ISO 14729 Stand-Alone Test for disinfecting solutions, bactericidal, fungicidal
and amoebicidal assays of eight different contact lens solutions including: ReNu MultiPlus,
DuraPlus, Ultimate Plus, OptiFree Express, Kontex Clean, Kontex Normal, Kontex Multisol
extra+, Kontex Soak were performed. The efficacy of contact lens solutions was determined
against keratitis-causing microbes, namely: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Fusarium solani and Acanthamoeba castellanii.
Results
The results revealed that ReNu MultiPlus, DuraPlus and OptiFree Express were effective
in killing bacterial and fungal pathogens as per manufacturer's minimum recommended
disinfection time. Ultimate Plus was effective against F. solani and MRSA but ineffective against P. aeruginosa, S. marcescens and S. aureus. Of concern however, is that none of the locally formulated contact lens disinfecting
solutions from Pakistan, i.e., Kontex Clean, Kontex Normal, Kontex Multisol extra+ and Kontex Soak were effective against any of the keratitis-causing organisms tested.
All eight contact lens disinfecting solutions were unable to destroy Acanthamoeba cysts.
Conclusions
Because such ineffective contact lens disinfection solutions present a major risk
to public health, these findings are of great concern to the health officials and
to the manufacturers of the contact lens disinfection solutions and effective solutions
are needed, along with emphasis on proper hygiene for contact lens care and special
guidelines for developing countries regarding the manufacture and storage of contact
lens disinfecting solutions.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Contact Lens and Anterior EyeAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Hong Kong Microbial Keratitis Study Group. Incidence and risk factors for microbial keratitis in Hong Kong: comparison with Europe and North America.Eye. 2002; 16: 608-618
- Incidence of contact-lens-associated microbial keratitis and its related morbidity.Lancet. 1999; 354: 181-185
- The incidence of ulcerative keratitis among users of daily-wear and extended-wear soft contact lenses.N Engl J Med. 1989; 321: 779-783
- Characterization of Fusarium keratitis outbreak isolates: contribution of biofilms to antimicrobial resistance and pathogenesis.Immunol Microbiol. 2012; 55: 4450-4457
- Inefficacy of marketed contact lens disinfection solutions against keratitis-causing Acanthamoeba castellanii belonging to the T4 genotype.Exp Parasitol. 2014; 141: 122-128
- Culturable aerobic and facultative anaerobic intestinal bacterial flora of Black Cobra (Naja sp.).ISRN Vet Sci. 2014; ([article ID 878479])
- Prevalence of Acanthamoeba and superbugs in a clinical setting: coincidence or hyperparasitism.Parasitol Res. 2013; 112: 1349-1351
- Staphylococcus aureus exhibit similarities in their interactions with Acanthamoeba and ThP1 macrophage-like cells.Exp Parasitol. 2012; 132: 513-518
- ISO 14729 Ophthalmic optics – contact lens care products – microbiological requirements and test methods for products and regimens for hygienic management of contact lenses.ISO, Geneva, Switzerland2001
- Review of standard for evaluating the effectiveness of contact lens disinfectants.PDAJ Pharm Sci Technol. 2002; 56: 37-50
- Efficacy of care solutions against contact lens-associated Fusarium biofilms.Optom Vis Sci. 2012; 89: 382-391
- Anti-Acanthamoebic properties of resveratrol and de-methoxy curcumin.Exp Parasitol. 2012; 132: 519-523
- Carbohydrate analysis of Acanthamoeba castellanii.Exp Parasitol. 2009; 122: 338-343
- Contact lens-related microbial keratitis: recent outbreaks.Curr Opin Opthalmol. 2008; 19: 302-306
- Efficacy of multipurpose solutions against Acanthamoeba species.Contact Lens Anter Eye. 2005; 28: 169-175
- Acanthamoeba keratitis multiple states 2005–2007.MMWR: Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007; 56: 1-3
- Comparision of hydrogen peroxide contact lens disinfection systems and solutions against Acanthamoeba polyphaga.Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2001; 45: 2038-2043
- Disinfection efficacy of contact lens care solutions against ocular pathogens.CLAO J. 2001; 27: 16-22
- Efficacy of commercial soft contact lens disinfectant solutions against Acanthamoeba.Jpn J Ophthalmol. 2011; 55: 547-557
- Effect of storage temperatures and time on the efficacy of multipurpose solutions for contact lenses.Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2004; 24: 218-224
- Contact lens-related visual loss—a case series from Karachi.Pak Med Assoc. 2011; 61: 1246-1248
Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 30, 2014
Accepted:
September 9,
2014
Received in revised form:
August 22,
2014
Received:
July 8,
2014
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
