Author Question: Which safety precaution does the nurse teach a patient who is prescribed eye drops or eye ointment? ... (Read 56 times)

londonang · **on:** Jul 23, 2018

Which safety precaution does the nurse teach a patient who is prescribed eye drops or eye ointment?

a. Wash your hands before and after applying the drug.
b. Do not share your eye medications with anyone else.
c. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages while taking this drug.
d. Do not drive or use heavy equipment while your vision is blurred.

Question 2

Which precaution is most important for the nurse to teach a patient who is prescribed any type of eye drug administered as eye drops?

a. Apply only the number of drops prescribed.
b. Stop the drug immediately if eye redness occurs.
c. Wear dark glasses for 1 hour after placing the eye drops.
d. Apply pressure to the corner of the eye after the drug has been placed.

leeeep · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 23, 2018

Answer to Question 1

D
Both eye drops and eye ointments can blur vision immediately after instillation. Vision may re-main blurry with eye ointments until the ointment is removed. Patients must not drive, operate heavy equipment, or perform any skill requiring precision (e.g., drawing up an insulin dose) until vision is clear.

Answer to Question 2

A
Not only can eye drops enter the circulatory system and have systemic effects, excessive drops for some types of drugs for glaucoma can reduce intraocular pressure to dangerously low levels. Many patients do not consider any topical drug, including eye drops, to be real medication and believe that more drug is better. Patients must be taught to use all eye drugs exactly as pre-scribed, and not use more drug than is prescribed.