What is the correct procedure for administering eye drops?
With your index finger placed on the soft spot just below the lower lid, gently pull down to form a pocket. Look up. Squeeze one drop into the pocket in your lower lid. Don’t blink, wipe your eye, or touch the tip of the bottle on your eye or face.
Should you wear gloves when giving eye drops?
Always put on clean gloves before administering the medication. 5. Remove the lid from the eye drop bottle or eye ointment tube and lay it on a clean surface. It is very important to not let the tip of the dropper or tube touch the client’s eye or eyelashes nor your hands or fingers.
What safety precautions are needed with eye drops?
Take these safety precautions when you use eyedrops or eye ointments:
- Wash your hands well before and after you insert the drops or ointment. …
- Be sure the dropper or tube is clean and does not touch the eye, eyelid, lashes, or any surface.
How would you instruct the patient to administer eye medications to prevent the spread of infection?
Administer a drop of the medication onto the closed eyelid in the nasal corner. Ask the patient to open the eye and close it gently once the drug has entered it.
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Eye drops and ointment should be administered:
- At the correct time;
- In the correct strength;
- Via the correct route;
- To the right person;
- Into the correct eye.
When is the best time to put eye drops?
Use eye drops before bed
If you frequently experience dry eyes in the morning, apply eyedrops to your eyes each night before bed. Also, certain types of lubricating eye drops or ointments are best used before bedtime because they’re thicker and can blur your vision.
What happens if you put too many eye drops in?
However, prolonged use of the drops can actually cause a “rebounding” effect. Since blood flow slows or stops, less oxygen and nutrients can get to the sclera; in turn, the blood vessels respond by enlarging, causing a cycle of persistent redness and irritation.
What do you do if the tip of the dispenser touches the patient’s eye?
If the tip of the bottle becomes contaminated, you can clean it with a sterile cloth or alcohol pad. Place the back of your thumb against your forehead and avoid pointing your fingernails towards the eye. Tilt your head backwards and look at a point on the ceiling. Keep both eyes open to avoid blinking.
Which eye drops do you use first?
If you have both drops and ointment, use the drops first. If you don’t, the ointment may keep the eye drops from being absorbed. If you have more than one type of drop, wait about 5 minutes after the first medicine before you use the second. Keep your eyes closed for a few minutes.
How long should I close my eyes after eye drops?
However, in order to help the eye drop penetrate your eye, the easiest thing to do is to keep your eyes closed for 2 minutes after instilling the drop because blinking activates the “pump” that drains your tears away from the eyeball.
Should you close your eyes after eye drops?
After the drop goes in, keep your eye closed for about thirty seconds to help it absorb properly. If you blink excessively, the drop will not get absorbed. If you place your index finger along the inner corner of your eye after putting the drops in, this closes off the tear duct and keeps the drop in the eye longer.
Can eye drops make you blind?
Long-term use of self-prescribed eye drops that contain steroids can lead to glaucoma, a disease that causes degeneration of cells in the optic nerve resulting in loss of vision, warn ophthalmologists who are seeing an increase in such cases.