A significant problem in intensive care patients: Eye complications: Medical education

WOS: 000256246600013Eye has various mechanisms protecting the ocular surface. These protective mechanisms are eyelid movements, sound epithelium, enzymes in the tear and cellular or humoral immunity in the conjonctiva. Intensive care patients are at greater risk in hospital population, because complex treatment, serious clinical condition and factors existing from intensive care unit (ICU) environment harms defensive mechanisms. A decreased level of consciousness, mechanical ventilation, sedatives and muscle relaxant for continuity of ventilation support make ocular surface be more susceptible to various disorders. Abnormalities of blink reflex, tear film and eyelid may lead corneal epitelial problems, microbial keratitis, conjunctival chemosis (edema) and dry eye. Eye care in critically ill patients can be seen as a relatively minor problem when compared to stabilise vital body systems and can be ignored. This situation can lead to ocular complications. Protection of the ocular surface in intensive care patients is a considerable and an important matter and eye care is a basic nursing procedure essential for these patients. But today there have beeen various eye care applications and haven't been a standart based on evidence, yet. So interruption of the ocular complications will ease. There is a limited study in epidemiology of the ocular problems and eye care implementations abroad. This article aims to take into consideration to the eye complications and the importance of eye care in ICUs