COMPARISON OF ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECT OF POVIDONE IODINE AND NORMAL SALIN ON CONJUNCTIVAL NORMAL FLOARA OF EYES UNDERWENTING INTRAOCULAR SURGERY IN RASOOL AKRAM HOSPITAL. ONE YEAR SURVEY

This prospective study has been performed to compare antimicrobial effect of Povidone lodine (PVI) and Normal Saline (N/S) on conjunctival flora by washing the culdesac before starting intraocular surgery in Rasool-Akram Hospital from July 1999 to July 2000. 100 eyes that underwent intraocular surgery were included for this study randomly (67 cases cataract surgery and 33 cases vitrectomy). From each eye in 2 phases specimens were taken and cultured in blood agar, Macconkey agar, sabouraud dextrose agar & thioglycollate medias. In first stage before prep & drep specimen was taken & then culdesac washed by 10cc N/S or 10cc 5% PVI for 1 minut in each group respectively. Second specimen was taken at the end of the operation. Culture specimen were studied and reported by microbiologist results classified and underwent statistical analysis by X2 tests. Microorganisms grew up from 85% of 1 st stage culture and it was staph epidermidis mainly. Overall use of PVI has decreased growth of microorganism significantly in comparision to N/S (76.2% in PVI group versus 46.5% in N/S group). In cataract surgery group there was no significant difference between PVI and N/S (75% versus, 55.2% respectively) but in vitrectomy group this difference was significant (78.6% versus, 28.6% respectively P=0.021). If operation time was longer than 2 hours there was significant difference (75% in PVI group versus 35.3% in N/S group) between N/S and PVI groups (P=0.037). PVI is safe, cheep, available, with least side effects and has good bactericidal effect if used for culdesac washing at the begining of intraocular surgeries, especially if operation time takes longer than 2 hours.