The effectiveness of several current soft contact lens care systems against Aspergillus.

PURPOSE: Fungal contamination of contact lenses is a common occurrence. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of currently used soft contact lens care systems against Aspergillus fumigatus. METHODS: We prepared and added 100 microL inoculums of 1 x 10(6) colony forming units/mL to each test solution. We exposed fungi to disinfectant for 4, 6, and 8 hours or to cleaning solution for 1 minute. We then diluted and plated the samples. After 48 hours, we counted the number of colony forming units. RESULTS: We represented the cleaning agent results as a percentage of the number of colony forming units found in the control at the same exposure period: Quick CARE Starting Solution--0%, MiraFlow--12%, Opti-Free Daily Cleaner--41%, and PureEyes Cleaner/Rinse--82%. We calculated the percent control for 4, 6 and 8 hour exposures for each disinfecting solution: Opti-One--197%, 163%, and 109%; Quick-CARE Finishing Solution--84.6%, 55%, and 31%; ReNu--97.4%, 17%, and 4%; Complete--10%, 1%, and 0.4%; PureEyes Disinfectant/Soaking Solution--0%, 0%, and 0%; and Hydrocare--0%, 0%, and 0%. CONCLUSION: This study of contact lens care systems provides a direct comparison of their effectiveness against the same strain of Aspergillus. The results allow practitioners to select the appropriate care system for each patient.