How to apply eye ointment

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Indications

• To treat a superficial corneal injury with antibiotic
• To deliver longer acting topical medication e.g.

  – in the case of a child

  – overnight, following medication by drop instillation during daytime

  – when an eye needs to be padded for long periods.

You will need

• Clean swab or paper tissue
• Prescribed eye ointment – produced in varying sizes and colours of tube.

Preparation

• Check that the ointment is not date-expired. This is not always easy to read on the actual tube so be careful to take time to do this. Some tubes also come in a box where the expiry date is easier to read.
• Check the patient’s name and eye ointment against the prescription
• Remove cap from nozzle
• Ask the patient to look up.

Method

• With the index finger of one hand take a folded swab or tissue to gently hold down the lower eyelid
• With the other hand take the tube of ointment and direct the nozzle towards the inner canthus
• Squeeze tube slowly to allow about one centimetre to emerge in a thin line along the inside of the lower eyelid. (Rather like putting toothpaste on a toothbrush!). Do not touch the eye with the tube nozzle! Do not touch the eyelid skin or eyelashes with the tube nozzle – it will cease to be sterile and need to be discarded.
• Wipe away any surplus ointment which may emerge when the patient closes the eye.

Finally

• Secure the nozzle cap.