Microbiota Analysis and Standard Culture Identify Bacteria in Ophthalmic Trypan Blue Solution Commonly Used During Canine Cataract Surgery.

Commercially sterile ophthalmic trypan blue solutions contain viable bacteria with brand-specific variations.

This study investigated bacterial contamination in commercially available sterile ophthalmic trypan blue solutions used during canine cataract surgery, as post-operative fibrin web formation may be associated with microbial contamination. Researchers analyzed five samples from two production lots of three different brands (30 total samples) using 16S rRNA sequencing and conventional bacterial culture. All three brands tested positive for bacterial organisms including Staphylococcus, Lysinibacillus, Bacillus, and Micrococcus species. Sequencing analysis identified significant brand-specific differences in bacterial community composition between brands, with Halomonas and Saccharofermentans identified as genus-level biomarkers distinguishing products. Although conventional culture and molecular analysis successfully identified microbial communities, endotoxin quantification could not be performed at clinically relevant dilutions, limiting assessment of endotoxin-mediated inflammatory responses. The findings suggest that despite sterile labeling, commercially available trypan blue solutions harbor diverse bacterial populations that vary by manufacturer, potentially contributing to post-operative complications in canine cataract surgery.

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