Before starting you need to follow below points
- Properly wash your hands and afterward also
- Wear the gloves when required and if it is available
- Keep the patient head supported and make him in a comfortable position
- Avoid the distraction from another patient and yourself
- Make sure to have a good lighting and proper eye dressing packet
- Explain properly to the patient about your work.
Below things are needed
- Gauze swabs should be sterilized
- Suitable pre-made salt solution for the eyes. If it is not available, you can make your own and then dissolve it. You can heap 1 teaspoon of salt in the jug which contains around 500 ml of boiled water. Then allow the solution to cool.
- Pour a small amount of the solution in the sterile pot on the clean surface.
Method
Eyelashes cleaning
- Patienthave to close both the eyes
- Take a gauze swab which is folded
- You need to moisten the swab with the prepared solution
- After that gently clean the eyelashes with the swab from inner to outer canthus in one movement
- After use discard the swab
- Lower eyelid
- Ask patient to lookup
- With a single hand take the swab and then moisten it in the prepared solution
- By making use of the index finger of another hand, hold down the lower eyelid
- Then gently clean the lower eyelid with the swab from inner to outer canthus in one movement
- After use discard the swab
- Upper eyelid
- Extra care is required when you are cleaning the upper eyelid. Try to keep cornea in the view throughout and then avoid touching the cornea with the swab.
- The patient is required to look down
- Take a swab in one hand and moisten it in the solution
- With a finger in another hand gently ease the upper eyelid against the orbital rim and make sure you are not putting more pressure on the eyeball
- You can gently clean the upper eyelid with the swab from inner to outer canthus in one movement.
- Don’t forget to discard the swab after use.