Particulate contamination in eye surgery.

Flushing fluid from microsponges (surgical spears) and solutions for irrigation (balanced salt solution and Ringer solution) as well as other medicaments for intraocular use during surgery (solutions of Zolyse, solutions of Miochol and Healon) have been examined for particulate contamination. The method used to collect and analyse the particles involved scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX) in order to determine elements within the range of atomic number 9-93 in the periodic system. The investigation disclosed particulate contamination of all solutions examined. Particle number (greater than 5 microns) per ml varied from 15 to 400 and the size from 5 microns-800 microns. Microsponges released particles in numbers from 25-90 in a size range of 5-3000 microns per ml flushing fluid (Total flushing volume 20 ml). More than half of the particles were below 10 microns in all specimens examined. The irrigation solutions and solutions of medicaments contained only few particles above 40 microns. Most of the particles were of organic material which is not detectable with EDAX. This analytical system disclosed a wide range of inorganic elements, being present in the examined solution in the form of particles or as solutes.