Guidelines for Safe Surgery

Eye care-associated infections following intraocular surgery are not uncommon, but fortunately rare. There are three elements in any postoperative infection—the health personnel element, the surgical supply element, and the patient element. Though postoperative endophthalmitis are less common, there are several instances of cluster endophthalmitis. Unfortunately they are not very often reported, more difficult to confirm the source of such infection. These incidents prolong hospital stay, induce long-term disabilities, and add high costs to patients and their family. In addition to financial burden, the health-care system could often result in tragic loss of the eye. These misfortunes could be avoided by adopting safe practices both by the health-care personnel in one end and good manufacturing practices by the industry on the other end.