J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.  1989 Jun;30(3):331-334.

The Short Time Antibacterial Effect of Tetracaine Hydrochloride(Pontocaine(R)): in vitro study

• Kang SW
• Lee JH

Abstract

The short time antibacterial effect of tetracaine hydrochloride was studied. S. aureus, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus and P. aeruginosa were each incubated with tetracaine hydrochloride(preservative free) for 18 hours or for 2 minutes and then diluted and cultured on nutrient agar plate. Colony counts were done after 18 hours. In cases of 18 hours incubation, there was no growth of microbials in 0.5%, 0.1% tetracaine hydrochloride, but there was no inhibitory effect of 0.02% of tetracaine hydrochloride on growth of microbials, irrespective of inoculum amount. In cases of 2 minutes incubation with 0.5% tetracaine hydrochloride, there was no difference between the amount of microbial inoculum and colony count. Above in vitro study indicates that tetracaine hydrochloride has no inhibitory effect on bacterial growth in short time exposure less than 2 minutes.

Keyword

tetracaine hydrochloride; antibacterial effect; short time exposure

MeSH Terms

Agar
Coagulase
Staphylococcus
Tetracaine*
Agar
Coagulase
Tetracaine