Topical Ocular Anesthetics Harbour Clinically Important Microbes

Abstract

Purpose: The study was to determine clinically important microbial contaminants of topical ocular anesthetic medica�ons used in eye centers in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sec�on of eye clinics was sampled for the topical ocular anesthe�c agents. Standard laboratory procedures and protocols were observed in culturing the samples on different Agars. Microscopy and various biochemical tests were performed to iden�fy microbial species. An�microbial suscep�bility tests were also performed to ascertain the clinical importance of the isolated microbes. Results: A total of 27 anesthe�c agent were obtained (which consisted 15 Proparacaine and 12 Amethocaine), from which 87 bacteria were isolated which included Bacilli spp. 26(29.89%), Coagulase Negative Staphylococci spp. 17(19.54%), Moraxella spp. 17(19.54%), Staphylococcus aureus 8(9.19%), Streptococcus spp. 3(3.45%), Klebsiella spp. 3(3.45%), Pseudomonas spp. 1(1.15%), Proteus spp. 7(8.05%), Escherichia coli. 2(2.30%), and Shigella spp. 3(3.45%). There were 22 isolated fungal contaminants mainly Penicillium spp. 7(31.82%), Cephalosporium spp. 5(22.73%), Aspergillus spp 4(18.18%), Cercospora spp. 2(9.09%), and Cladosporium spp. 4(18.18%). The anesthe�c agent with the most bacterial contamina�on was Proparacaine 44(50.57%) followed by Amethocaine 43(49.43%). Also, both agents were equally contaminated with fungus 11(50.0%) in each. Gentamicin was the only an�bio�cs that showed 100% ac�vity against all the bacterial isolates. Fungal contaminants were more suscep�ble to Ketoconazole as compared to Fluconazole (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Topical ocular anesthe�c prepara�ons used in clinical se�ngs in Ghana are contaminated with clinically important microbes as the isolated bacteria were suscep�ble only to Gentamicin and fungi to Ketoconazole and Fluconazole.