Disinfecting Fitting Contact Lenses

Is disinfecting fitting contact lenses that are used on multiple patients in the Ophthalmology clinic acceptable?  The manufacturers instructions for use (MIFU) provide instructions for disinfecting the lenses but does it comply with infection prevention standards?

Is Disinfecting Fitting Contact Lenses Acceptable?

You are right to be concerned if you are only disinfecting these lenses.  We often see these sterilized if used for more than one patient.  At minimum they should be High Level Disinfected between patients.  The Joint Commission published a Quick Safety Alert and an article in Perspectives on the need to High Level Disinfect devices that come in contact with the eye.  They stated, among other things:

“Items that touch mucous membranes — such as the eye — must be, at minimum, high-level disinfected. Items that contact or enter sterile tissues — such as instruments that are used for surgical procedures — or touch an ulcerated cornea must be sterilized.”

Both of these articles apply to the device you are using on multiple patients as these come in contact with mucus membrane. The Perspectives article mentions the risk of an Immediate Threat decision when not complying with the HLD requirements.  There is also a related article from AORN and one related to contacts in radiology procedures.

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