Patients who receive corneal grafts from dying donors may be at an increased risk of infection, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.“Infection is an uncommon but serious complication of corneal transplant,” the authors write. “Most infected eyes lose vision or become blind.”During the decade of the study, eye banks distributed 340,174 donor corneas in the U.S. and 109,009 internationally. A total of 162 cases of endophthalmitis were reported. The odds of infected recipients having received a cornea from a hospitalized donor were three times that of non-infected recipients. In addition, death of the donor from cancer was considerably more likely among the recipients who developed infections. The cause is unclear, presently, but donors may have acquired harmful microorganisms in the hospital and transmitted them to the patients, the authors speculate.Doctors say an array of practices have been instituted to reduce the risk of infection, including refusing donors who have blood or other infections and retrieving and preserving tissue with antiseptics.The researchers, at the Baylor College of Medicine, collected donor information for all cases of the eye infection endophthalmitis reported for transplants performed between 1994 and 2003.The results provide evidence that the donor’s health before death may affect their eye tissue. “Blanket deferral from donation by hospitalized patients or those with cancer would be unreasonable as most corneas from these donors do not result in complications,” the authors note. “Rather, efforts are needed to determine what illnesses, interventions or other reasons might explain the pathway linking certain donors with recipient infection. We advocate judicious evaluation of decedents and encourage efficient recovery and delivery of donated tissues, but we also recognize an opportunity for better methods of microbiological assessment and control to reduce infections associated with corneal transplant.”– by Gene J. Koprowski, Editorial Director

The cornea — source: University of Indiana.

Posted: February 13th, 2008 under Eye Infections, Feature Stories, Infection Protection.
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Your eyes are quite literally your window to the world. However, few people have the foresight to properly care for their eyes. There are many simply ways to treat your eyes with the respect they deserve. Dr. Scott Greenstein, an ophthalmologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, offers suggestions to keep your eyes healthy.

Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves some contacts for “extended wear,” that is not a free pass to leave them in as long as you want, Greenstein says. Leaving contacts in too long, especially overnight, can lead to infection. “Even if it is approved for extended wear,” he says, “I do not recommend it.”

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,329068,00.html

– by The Editors

Improper procedures with contact lenses can lead to eye infections. Image source: Lensdoc.com

Posted: February 7th, 2008 under Eye Infections.
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