Eye ointment provides long lasting effect, hence more useful during night applications.
Equipment required to install ointment to eye-
- Sterile dressing pack
- Sterile normal saline for eye irrigation
- Eye Ointment
Procedure
Explain the procedure to the parent and the child
Calm the child. Make sure you have good light in the room
Get the child to sit on the parents lap or beside the parent comfortably
Wash your hands with soap and water and dry your hands
Confirm the patient’s prescription and make sure you have checked the following
- Patient’s details
- Medications
- Dose
- Time of administration
- Route and method of administration
- Expiry date on the medication
- Signature of the prescriber
Get the child in right posture as below –
Head should be tilted backwards and well supported
The parent can assist by holding the child on the lap or in older children get them to lie on the bed
Always treat the uninfected eye first and then go to the infected eye.
Use separate ointment for each eye
Ask the child to close their eyes and wipe clean with sterile cloth dipped in sterile normal saline water.
Try to remove the crusted edges
Now ask the patient to look up and gently retract the lower eyelid to make a pouch and instil the ointment by gently squeezing the tube about 2.5 cm above the lower eyelid and draw in a straight line at the inner margin
Ask the patient to close the eye for about 1 minute. Inform the patient that the vision can be blur for a few minutes until the ointment dissolves
Now dispose the equipment
Document in the patient’s notes