18 Chapter 53 Eye and Vision Disorders ________________________________________________________
Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing, 6th ed.
Keratitis
• Inflammation or infection, or both, of the cornea
• From bacteria, viruses, fungi; chemical or mechanical injuries cause inflammation that
may be followed by infection
• No noticeable drainage, but considerable pain
TALKING POINTS:
• Why are topical anesthetics not used?
• Eye pads are not used with keratitis because they provide a dark, damp environment for
microorganisms to grow.
Entropion
• The lower lid turns inward
• Eyelashes rub against the eye, causing pain and possibly scratching the cornea
• Surgical correction usually recommended
Ectropion
• The lower lid droops and turns outward
• The eye does not close completely, causing it to become dry and irritated
• The dry cornea is easily injured
• Requires surgical correction
• If object not embedded, it usually clings to swab and can be removed
Foreign Body
• Blinking/tearing wash small irritants from eye
• If object is embedded, it should be removed only by a provider
Corneal Opacity
• Inflammation and infection
• When cornea injured by infection or trauma, scar tissue may form
• If scar tissue prevents light from entering the eye, varying degrees of vision
impairment occur
• Only treatment is keratoplasty (removal of the scarred cornea and replacement with a
healthy cornea)
• During keratoplasty, damaged cornea removed first
TALKING POINTS:
• A healthy cornea is clear, allowing light to enter the pupil.
• What are the two types of grafts used in keratoplasty?