@article {199, title = {Microbiologic study of organ-cultured donor corneas}, journal = {Transplantation}, volume = {66}, year = {1998}, note = {Borderie, V M Laroche, L United states Transplantation Transplantation. 1998 Jul 15;66(1):120-3.}, month = {Jul 15}, pages = {120 - 3}, edition = {36005}, abstract = {BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to evaluate the sterility of organ-cultured human donor corneas at the time of surgery. METHODS: We studied 603 organ-cultured corneas. Of these 603 corneas, 409 (68\%) were grafted and 69 (11\%) were contaminated during storage. RESULTS: Contamination during preservation was either bacterial (65\%) or fungal (35\%). None of the tested antibiotics were effective against all of the 45 isolated bacteria. The risk of contamination decreased with death-to-organ culture time (P=0.008) and was higher for corneas excised in situ than for those enucleated (P=0.02). Corneoscleral rims were sterile in 99.3\% of the grafted corneas. Deswelling media were sterile in 100\% of cases. A 19- to 53-fold decrease in the percentage of rim contamination was assessed with organ culture as compared with hypothermic storage (previous studies, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the benefit of organ culture over hypothermic storage, because it allows contaminated tissue to be discarded.}, keywords = {*Tissue Donors, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Bacteria / isolation \& purification, Bacterial Physiological Phenomena, Cornea / *microbiology, Cryopreservation, Drug Resistance, Microbial / physiology, Fungi / isolation \& purification / physiology, Humans, Middle Aged, Organ Culture Techniques, Risk Factors, Time Factors}, issn = {0041-1337 (Print) 0041-1337 (Linking)}, author = {Borderie,V. M. and Laroche,L.} }