A nurse is applying erythromycin eye ointment to a newborn’s eyes.
How much ointment should the nurse squeeze into the lower conjunctival sac of each eye?
0.25 cm
0.5 cm
1 cm
2 cm
The Correct Answer is B
The correct answer is choice B. 0.5 cm. According to the PEDIATRIC NEWBORN MEDICINE CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES, a thin strip of erythromycin eye ointment should be applied to the lower conjunctival sac of each eye of the newborn within 24 hours after birth.
The length of the strip should be approximately 0.5 cm (or 1/4 inch). This is done to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis, also known as ophthalmia neonatorum, which is a serious eye infection caused by bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Choice A is wrong because 0.25 cm is too short and may not provide adequate coverage of the eye.
Choice C is wrong because 1 cm is too long and may cause excessive ointment to spill out of the eye.
Choice D is wrong because 2 cm is way too long and may cause irritation and discomfort to the eye.
The normal range for erythromycin eye ointment application is 0.5 cm to 1 cm, but the recommended dose is 0.5 cm.
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Correct Answer is B
Explanation
The correct answer is choice B. 0.5 cm.According to the PEDIATRIC NEWBORN MEDICINE CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINES, a thin strip of erythromycin eye ointment should be applied to the lower conjunctival sac of each eye of the newborn within 24 hours after birth.
The length of the strip should be approximately 0.5 cm (or 1/4 inch).This is done to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis, also known as ophthalmia neonatorum, which is a serious eye infection caused by bacteria such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Choice A is wrong because 0.25 cm is too short and may not provide adequate coverage of the eye.
Choice C is wrong because 1 cm is too long and may cause excessive ointment to spill out of the eye.
Choice D is wrong because 2 cm is way too long and may cause irritation and discomfort to the eye.
The normal range for erythromycin eye ointment application is 0.5 cm to 1 cm, but the recommended dose is 0.5 cm.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
The correct answer is choice B. To prevent ophthalmia neonatorum, a serious eye infection caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia.Erythromycin eye ointment is an antibiotic that kills bacteria and is used to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis, which can lead to blindness if untreated.Erythromycin is the only approved agent available in the United States for prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum.
Choice A is wrong because erythromycin eye ointment does not prevent dryness and irritation of the eyes.It is used to treat bacterial eye infections like bacterial conjunctivitis, bacterial keratitis, blepharitis and infectious uveitis.
Choice C is wrong because erythromycin eye ointment does not prevent retinopathy of prematurity, a condition that can lead to blindness in premature infants.Retinopathy of prematurity is caused by abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina and is not related to bacterial infection.
Choice D is wrong because erythromycin eye ointment does not prevent conjunctivitis, a common eye infection in newborns.
Conjunctivitis can be caused by viruses, fungi, parasites or allergens, which erythromycin cannot treat.Erythromycin only prevents conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhea or chlamydia.
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