ANTERIOR-CHAMBER FLUID CONTAMINATION AFTER UNCOMPLICATED PHACOEMULSIFICATION

This study determined the rate of anterior chamber aerobic bacterial c ontamination in 103 eyes that had uncomplicated posterior chamber phac oemulsification. Anterior chamber fluid was aspirated on completion of surgery. Cultures of sterile balanced salt solution sewed as a contro l. Of 103 anterior chamber cultures, 4 (3.9%) showed contamination; ho wever, 3 of 103 control cultures (2.9%) also grew micro-organisms. The se findings suggest a very low rate of aerobic bacterial contamination after uncomplicated phacoemulsification and underscore the importance of control cultures when determining contamination rates.