Abstract

AIM: TO STUDY THE OCULAR CONDITIONS IN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT PATIENTS. METHODS: PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY INCLUDING ALL PATIENTS ADMITTED TO ADULT INTENSIVE CARE UNIT DEPARTMENT BETWEEN MARCH AND AUGUST 2023. SEDATED/ VENTILATED PATIENTS WERE EXAMINED BY OPHTHALMOLOGIST 1 TO 5 DAYS AFTER COMMENCING VENTILATION AND SUBSEQUENTLY EVERYDAY. IN AWAKE PATIENTS EARLY SCREENING WAS DONE FOR ANY OCULOPATHY.EXAMINATION INCLUDED ASSESSMENT OF LID POSITION, CONJUNCTIVAL EDEMA AND CORNEAL CHANGES ALONG WITH FUNDOSCOPY.RESULT: OF THE 74 PATIENTS INCLUDED IN THE STUDY, 57% HAD EXPOSURE KERATOPATHY. 54% DEVELOPED CHEMOSIS, 31% PATIENTS DEVELOPED LAGOPHTHALMOS. 20% PATIENTS HAD CONJUNCTIVAL HYPEREMIA, MUCOPURULENT OR PURULENT DISCHARGE OF EYE ALONG WITH ABOVE CONDITIONS. AND REFRACTIVE ERROR WAS PREVALENT IN AWAKE PATIENTS WITH CORNEAL SURFACE DISORDERS.CONCLUSION: INTENSIVE CARE UNIT PATIENTS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEVELOP DRY EYE, KERATOPATHY AND OCULAR INFECTIONS.