Risk of Transmission of Infection to Host from Septicaemic Donor Corneas

Authors

Umang Mathur MD, Manisha Acharya MD, Jyoti Garg MD, Neelam Sapra MD, Lokesh Chauhan MSc

Keywords

Infection, septicaemia

Abstract

Purpose: To study the risk of transmission of infection from corneal tissues harvested from donors with septicaemia as cause of death.

Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on two groups. Group A comprised of corneal tissues harvested from donors with septicaemia as cause of death and Group B was the control  group which had corneal tissues harvested from donors who died of causes other than septicemia. Conjunctival swab and aqueous tap as well as blood sample of the deceased donor were inoculated on culture media. In group A , microbiological cultures of corneo scleral tissue was done whereas in group B Corneo sclera rim was cultured post Keratoplasty.MK media was cultured in both groups. Rates and consistency of culture results in innoculum was analyzed using Fisher’s exact test.

Results: Thirty four corneas from 17 donors were harvested, with nine donors (18 eyes) in group A and eight donors (16 eyes) in group B. In conjunctival swab microbial growth was obtained in 15 (83.33%) and 5 (31.25%) tissues in group A and B respectively (p<0.0001). In Corneo scleral tissue microbial growth was present in 5 (31.25%) tissue of group A. In group B, no microbial growth was seen in Corneoscleral rim. (p=0.046). On comparing the blood culture positive and negative donors, the microbial growth in both the groups was statistically significant only for conjunctival swab (90% vs 45%, p=0.0240). However the same organism was not grown in blood culture and in conjunctival swab, aqueous tap, Corneoscleral rim or corneal tissue culture.

Conclusion: This study did not show the growth of same organism in blood culture and other ocular tissue cultures. Further study is required to ascertain Septicemia in the donor as a risk factor for corneal transplantation.