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Microbiologists have recently reported that some strains of bacteria with associations to more serious infections have developed an increased resistance to the more common lens disinfectants solutions.Researchers looked in particular at the strain of bacteria that is the cause of keratitis ( causing damage to the corneal layer of the eye) the name of which is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The researchers from the University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool University NHS Trust investigated the bacterium's ability to survive in the solution.Manufacturers of the lens disinfectants tend to use a bacteria strain called 9027 in the testing of their products.The researchers used a total of nine clinical strains of P aeruginosa that were sourced from hospital patients here in the UK.The researchers observed that one particular strain was able to survive for four hours.The majority of contact wearers are advised to soak their used lenses normally for twelve hours or overnight but always for significantly more than just four hours.This is deemed proven to kill the most resistant bacteria strains.
Most cases of keratitis can be held in abeyance by users observing the correct procedures for after care of their lenses.
It is not an uncommon story to hear how antibiotic resistance is emerging and manufacturers and researchers alike will be kept busy in assessing and re-testing and re-assessing the multitude of clinical products in order to keep them safe and useable.