EFFECT OF EYELID TAPING FREQUENCY AND OCULAR LUBRICATION ON PREVENTION OF EXPOSURE KERATOPATHY IN SEDATED ICU PATIENTS

Nishanth S; Roopa Rokhade; Vindhya Prakash; Laxmi; Prerana S Sharoff; Hrithika M Koujalagi

Authors

Nishanth S Resident, Department of ophthalmology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka. Author
Roopa Rokhade Additional Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka. Author
Vindhya Prakash Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, SS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Davangere, Karnataka. Author
Laxmi Resident, Department of ophthalmology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka. Author
Prerana S Sharoff Resident, Department of ophthalmology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka. Author
Hrithika M Koujalagi Resident, Department of ophthalmology, SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka. Author

Abstract

Patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) on sedation or intubated with Glascow Coma Scale¹ of E1 are potentially vulnerable to ocular surface disease due to inadequate eyelid closure leading to corneal drying, epithelial breakdown, and infection. Preventative eye care measures are often overlooked since the medical and nursing teams in the ICU are mainly concerned with stabilization of the cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological status, and patients are unable to convey ocular symptoms.²

Exposure keratopathy refers to the drying of the cornea with subsequent epithelial breakdown. This often occurs due to a failure of the eyelids to cover the globe, as there is a reduced level of consciousness, resulting in improper wetting of the ocular surface by tears³decreased tear production and rate of blink reflex is reduced⁴. The reported incidence of exposure keratopathy in critically ill patients ranges from 13.2% to over 60%, depending on patient characteristics and preventive eye-care practices.⁵.