Clinical Outcomes and Contact Lens Case Contamination Using a Povidone-iodine Disinfection System.

OBJECTIVE To assess the incidence of adverse events during the use of a povidone-iodine disinfecting solution (cleadew) and the microbial contamination in contact lens cases. METHODS A prospective, single-center, open-label, controlled study evaluating the use of cleadew cleaning and disinfecting system in existing daily wear soft contact lens wearers over a 3-month period was conducted. Ocular signs and symptoms during lens wear were assessed at baseline and after 1 and 3 months of using cleadew. Contact lens cases were assessed for the frequency of microbial contamination and the types of microbes, using traditional microbial culture, followed by identification of bacteria using 16S rRNA sequencing. RESULTS Use of cleadew was well tolerated. There was reduction in corneal staining (0.5±0.5 at 3 months of use) compared with the participant's habitual multipurpose disinfecting system (1.1±1.0); all other clinical signs were not significantly different. There were no cases of solution-induced corneal staining. There was a low adverse event rate of 0.8% per 100 participant-months. Contact lens case contamination was low, with 30% of cases having no culturable microbes. Comparison with previously published data showed that use of cleadew resulted in low frequencies of Gram-positive (49%) and fungal (8%) contamination and a low, but higher than some other disinfecting solutions, level of Gram-negative bacteria. CONCLUSIONS Cleadew cleaning and disinfecting system was associated with low levels of adverse events during use. Contact lens cases were significantly less frequently contaminated than for some other types of disinfecting solutions.