Evaporation increases infection risk

Partially evaporated contact lens solution loses much of its disinfectant ability according to a recent study reported in Contact Lens & Anterior Eye.

Conducted by researchers at solutions manufacturer Abbott Laboratories, the report pointed out that many contact lens users unwittingly used partially evaporated solution, when they reused solution or failed to recap their lens storage case.

The study found that Bausch+Lomb's ReNu With MoistureLoc, which was recalled worldwide in 2006, lost the most disinfectant ability when partially evaporated, which may have been a significant factor in the Fusarium keratitis outbreak.

A stream of air was used to evaporate the solutions and others tested that lost disinfectant ability were Alcon's Opti-Free Replenish, B+L's ReNu Multiplus, CIBA Vision's AQuify Multi-Purpose and B+L's Biotrue.