Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #57

Abstract During general anesthesia, the patient's eyes must be protected to prevent corneal abrasions (Grixti et al., 2013). Several approaches are used to ensure that the eyelids remain closed during surgery including medical tape, transparent film, and single-use eye covers. There is no standard of care that delineates the superiority of one method of protection over another, as long as the eyelids remain closed, and the eyes are protected from external insult. Prior to the implementation of this project, the most commonly used method of eye protection at a large teaching hospital in central Florida was medical tape, likely due to its low cost, ease of use, and widespread availability throughout the hospital. Multi-use medical tape, however, carries an increased risk of healthcare acquired infections owing to the fact that it is almost never washed or sterilized after opening, is exposed to many patients and clinicians, and it is used to secure invasive lines, drains, and airways, and wound dressings.
The purpose of this paper is to highlight medical tape’s role in microbial transmission and to advocate for a simple practice change among anesthesia providers that reduces risk and promotes improved hygiene for patients. The following PICO question was used to search literature databases and guide the process improvement project: Does employing single-use translucent eye patches (I) for eye protection in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia (P) as opposed to reusing the same roll of tape (C) across multiple patients decrease the possibility of infection (O)?