Preparation and processing of vitreoretinal instrumentation and equipment as a risk factor for silicone oil emulsification

To investigate possible sources for the induction of silicone oil emulsification in patients' eyes. The contaminants on a ready-to-use standard set of vitreoretinal instruments cleaned and sterilized in an eye clinic were determined. The determination of detergents was carried out according to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRetina (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 110
Main Authors Dresp, Joachim H, Menz, Dirk-Henning
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.02.2004
Subjects
Detergents
Emulsions
Equipment Contamination
Humans
Retina - surgery
Risk Factors
Silicone Oils
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Sterilization
Vitrectomy - instrumentation
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Summary:To investigate possible sources for the induction of silicone oil emulsification in patients' eyes. The contaminants on a ready-to-use standard set of vitreoretinal instruments cleaned and sterilized in an eye clinic were determined. The determination of detergents was carried out according to a standardized procedure, which uses ultrapurified water to rinse the equipment in question, followed by a measurement of the conductivity. Silicone oil remnants were determined using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. Ionic components of detergents and remnants of silicone oil could be detected on instrumentation deemed sterile, clean, and ready-to-use. During routine cleaning and sterilization of vitreoretinal instruments and accessories, remnants of silicone oil and detergents can persist and trigger emulsification of silicone oil, which came into contact with these contaminated devices during instillation of the endotamponade.
ISSN:0275-004X
DOI:10.1097/00006982-200402000-00015