Summary
This narrative review examines ocular surface disease in intensive care populations, documenting that 20–42% of ICU patients develop corneal epithelial defects due to disruption of normal tear production, blinking, and eye closure mechanisms. The authors provide evidence-based guidance on risk identification, eye protection in vulnerable patients, and treatment approaches. The review concludes that adherence to correctly implemented eye-care guidelines prevents the majority of corneal complications in ICU settings, despite current poor protocol implementation and documentation.
UK applicability
This review is directly applicable to UK intensive care practice. The findings suggest that UK ICUs could substantially reduce ocular morbidity by adopting and consistently implementing standardised eye-care protocols, addressing gaps in current practice and documentation.
Key measures
Prevalence of corneal epithelial defects; risk factors for ocular surface disease; adherence to eye-care guidelines; effectiveness of protective interventions
Outcomes reported
The review documented the prevalence of ocular surface disease (20–42% of ICU patients developing corneal epithelial defects) and evaluated evidence-based eye-care protocols for preventing and managing ocular complications in critically ill patients.
Topic tags
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