Letter: Contact with lenses

I read Professor Henriquez piece in the Optician magazine ‘Bacterial keratitis; cause and consequences’ with great interest as it is clearly imperative that all practitioners and practice staff involved in contact lens fittings are fully aware of the consequences of poor compliance which, apart from the risk of permanent visual loss, results in a further pressure on overstretched hospital eye departments.

The article mentions the three most widely cited potential bacterial contaminant sources namely tap water, swimming and showers. However, even after careful hand washing the risk of posterior surface contamination from the fingers is another possible contaminating source and there is evidence this risk source may well be a greater risk because hand washing is nowhere nearly as effective as we like to think.