Unusual Deviations from Standard Postoperative Instructions and Subsequent Review of Protocol
Phillip Lu, BAppSc1
Gerard Sutton, MBBS MD FRANZCO FRACS1,2
Chris Hodge, PhD BAppSc1,3
1Vision Eye Institute, Chatswood, Australia
2Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
3University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
The orthoptist plays an essential role in patient education and practice management. We present three unusual episodes of patient medication misuse, including two patients who mistakenly placed alternative liquids into their eye following surgery and a further patient who continued to use their medication after the family dog had used the bottle as a chewing device. Vision and safety outcomes varied considerably between cases. An orthoptist-driven review of postoperative standing orders was undertaken to reduce the risk of future occurrences. Supplementary graphics of the medications were added to the information forms. Patients were further requested to return accompanied to postoperative information visits to aid recall and emphasise proper protocol. Anecdotally there has been a reduction in medication-related enquiries following the intervention and no additional cases of ocular injury.
Keywords: cornea, correction fluid, cyanoacrylate glue
