VALUE OF CULTURES BEFORE OPERATION FOR CATARACT

Abstract

A study of a series of 2,508 operations for cataract extraction was made to determine the value of preoperative cultures in the prognosis of postoperative infections and the influence of chemotherapy. For the past eight years cultures of the eyes of patients admitted for cataract extraction have been examined for their bacterial flora. The purpose of this study was to determine whether any particular micro-organisms were responsible for postoperative infections. More recently these bacteriologic studies have been extended to aid in the evaluation of preoperative prophylactic chemotherapy. PROCEDURES FOR PREOPERATIVE CULTURES In the cases reported the following uniform method was carried out : The patient was admitted a day prior to the cataract operation, and cultures of material from both eyes were made as follows :¹ Sterile cotton swabs, moistened in 1 per cent dextrose infusion broth were rubbed firmly twice (back and forth) over the greater part of the lower