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Instillation of Drops
PURPOSE Pharmaceutical agents in the form of eye drops are routinely instilled in a patient’s eyes to anesthetize the cornea or to dilate the pil. Many ocular therapeutic pharmaceutical agents are in drop form and may be instilled in the same manner.
EQUIPMENT
·Bottle containing eye drops.
·Tissues.
SET-UP
·The patient is seated and given a tissue.
·Dim room illumination may prevent excess lacrimation.
STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDUR
1. Inform the patient that you are going to instill drops in his eyes and that the drops may cause temporary stinging. If you plan to instill dilating drops, the patient should be informed of the adverse effects of dilation. He should give his consent before you proceed.
2. Remove the bottle cap and hold it in the palm of your hand without touching the inside surface. Hold the bottle between the thumb and index finger of your dominant hand.
3. Instruct the patient to lean his head back and look to the ceiling. Provide a fixation target if necessary.
4. Using the middle finger of the hand holding the bottle or the index linger of your opposite hand, gently pull down the lower lid of the patient’s right eye as shown in Figure 5-15. Occasionally, it may be necessary to also hold the patient’s per lid. Then, it is easiest to use one hand to hold the lids, and the other hand to hold the bottle.
5. Position the bottle tip close to the patient’s eye, being careful not to let the patient’s lashes touch the tip even if he blinks.
6. Squeeze the bottle to allow a single drop to fall into the patient’s inferior cul-de-sac.
7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for the left eye if indicated.
8. Instruct the patient to close his eyes and gently wipe the excess fluid from his eyes with a tissue.
RECORDING
·Record the pharmaceutical agent used, how many drops were instilled into each eye, and the time of day.
EXAMPLES
·Dilated with 1 drop 1% tropicamide, 1 drop 2.5% phenylephrine OD only@ 9:45 AM.
·1 drop 1% cyclopentolate OD & OS @ 11:35 AM. |
