EYE IRRIGATION – Nurse Info EYE IRRIGATION – Purpose, Common Solutions Used, General Instructions, Equipment Needed and Procedures (COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING)

EYE IRRIGATION – Purpose, Common Solutions Used, General Instructions, Equipment Needed and Procedures (COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING)

UPDATED 2024

Eye
irrigation is washing of the conjunctiva sac by a stream of liquid

PURPOSES

• To treat inflammatory condition of
  the conjunctiva
• To apply heat or cold to the eye
• To apply medications
• To remove foreign particles or
  irritating chemicals fallen in the eye
• To 
  relieve congestion and pain

COMMON SOLUTIONS USED

• Plain water to clean the eye
• Normal saline (sodium chloride)
• Boric acid 2%, as an antiseptic
• Silver nitrate 1%, as an antiseptic
• Acriflavine 1%

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

• Maintain aseptic technique throughout
  the procedure to prevent introduction of infection into eye
• Use only sterile articles and
  solutions for eye irrigation
• Never touch eye with irrigator
• Test temperature of the solution at
  the inner surface of the wrist
• Flow of the fluid should be from
  inner canthus to the outer canthus to prevent forcing the infection into the
  nasolacrimal duct
• Medications should be instilled
  immediately after eye irrigation
• Temperature of the solution is about
  98 to 100 degree F, so that the conjunctiva is not injured

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• An irrigator kept in a sterile bowl
• Prescribed solution in a container at
  the correct temperature
• Bowl of cotton swabs
• Medication bottle or ointment
• Kidney tray, paper bag, and eye pad
• Mackintosh and towel

PROCEDURE

• Wash hands to prevent cross infection
• Clean eyelids and eyelashes from the
  inner to the counter corner of the eye by using wet swabs
• Irrigate the eye using solution which
  is at body temperature
• Ask the patient to close his eyes and
  allow a small amount of the fluid to run over eye lid. Separate eye lids gently
  with thumb and fore finger of the left thumb
• Keep the nozzle of the irrigator
  about 2 cm above the eyes and allow the fluid to run into the conjunctival sac.
  The flow should run from the inner cantus to the outer cantus, so that the
  infection will not enter into the nasolacrinal duct
• Ask the patient to look up while
  irrigating the inner part of the lower lid and to look down while the inner
  part of the upper lid is irrigated
• Irrigate the eye until the outflow is
  clean
• Wipe the eyes for the effect of
  irrigation
• Instill eye drops or ointments
  according to order and make the patient comfortable