Anesth Pain Med.  2016 Jan;11(1):99-103. 10.17085/apm.2016.11.1.99.

Comparison of eye protection methods for corneal abrasion during general anesthesia

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Korea. soonnim@schmc.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Ophthalmology, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Nune Eye Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Corneal abrasion is one of the most common ophthalmic complications that occurs after general anesthesia. Although they can occur by direct contact with surgical drapes or masks, most occur as a result of the drying of the cornea exposed during general anesthesia due to a reduced amount of tear secretions, the loss of light reflex, or the loss of recognition of pain during the procedure. Thus, to prevent corneal abrasions during general anesthesia, proper eye protection is required.
METHODS
Seventy-two patients (144 eyes) were divided into four groups as follows: 1) control group: careful manual eye closure; 2) adhesive tape group: a bandage attached over the eyelid; 3) ointment group: eye ointment placed into the eye followed by eye closure; and 4) ointment and tape group: eye ointment placed into the eye followed by a bandage attached over the eyelid, with the patient subjected to both methods for each eye. The National Eye Institute (NEI) scale, conjunctiva hyperemia scale, tear break-up time, and Schmer test were conducted before and after operation.
RESULTS
No statistically significant difference was noted between groups regarding the NEI scale, conjunctiva hyperemia scale, tear break-up time, or Schirmer test.
CONCLUSIONS
To prevent corneal abrasions in normal patients undergoing general anesthesia, eye taping, eye ointment application, or taping after eye ointment application will not significantly reduce the degree of corneal epithelial damage compared to manual eye closure.

Keyword

Anesthesia; Cornea; Intraoperative complications; National Eye Institute; Tears

MeSH Terms

Adhesives
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, General*
Bandages
Conjunctiva
Cornea
Eyelids
Humans
Hyperemia
Intraoperative Complications
Masks
Methods*
National Eye Institute (U.S.)
Reflex
Surgical Drapes
Tears
Adhesives

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Comparison of the incidence of corneal abrasion. The incidence of corneal abrasion was 23.5% in the control group, 16.7% in the adhesive tape group, 21.6% in the eye ointment group, and 16.2% in the eye ointment and adhesive tape group. The incidence of corneal abrasion after general anesthesia did not differ among the control, adhesive tape, eye ointment, and eye ointment and adhesive tape groups (P = 0.826).


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