Eye Problems, Eye Care and Ocular Awareness in Stage 3 Intensive Care Unit

Objective:The aim of this study was to determine the eye problems and risk factors encountered by patients in intensive care units and to evaluate the eye care awareness of healthcare workers in these units.Materials and Methods:In this study, 186 eyes of 93 patients without ophthalmological consultations were examined prospectively and observationally. The patients were evaluated for dry eye, hypertonic solution use, eyelid/eyelash hygiene, blink reflex, corneal pathology and eye care consultations. The ventilation type, length of hospitalization, Glasgow Coma scale score and sedation status were also evaluated. The presence of dry eye was evaluated according to gender, ventilation type, hypertonic solution use, Glasgow Coma scale score and hospitalization diagnosis. Additionally, patients were evaluated according to the risk factors of corneal pathologies.Results:The mean age of the patients was 63.53±22.06 (18-96) years and male/female ratio was 51/42. The mean length of hospitalization was 42.19±92.73 (7-203) days and the mean Glasgow Coma scale score was 9.35±4.34. Dry eye was detected in 30 (32.3%) patients. A higher rate of dry eye was detected in the mechanically ventilated and sedated patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.243 and p=0.384). Various corneal disorders were detected in 18 patients (19.35%). The sedation rate and length of hospitalization were higher in these patients, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.66 and p=0.126). However, Glasgow Coma scale score was significantly lower (p=0.027). The eyelid hygiene was adequate in 78 patients (83.9%) and inadequate in 15 patients (16.1%). Ophthalmological consultations were required for 29 patients (31.2%), but only 11 (37.9%) of these patients received consultations. Of 18 patients who were not consulted, 11 had punctate corneal epithelial defects, four had purulent conjunctivitis and three had keratitis.Conclusion:Eye disorders are quite common in intensive care unit inpatients. Increasing eye care awareness by providing eye care training to healthcare professionals focused on maintaining these patients’ vital functions will help prevent the emergence of eye diseases.