Eye irrigation is used to flush particles and chemicals from the eye. It involves hanging bags of saline above the patient's head to irrigate the eye, placing a basin under the eye to collect fluids, and slowly pouring the saline onto the eye while having the patient move their eye in all directions. Eye irrigation is used to treat chemical injuries, remove particles, and relieve foreign body sensation. Care must be taken to avoid further injuring the eye during irrigation.

3. Eye irrigation is used to flush
particles and harmful chemicals
from the conjunctiva and cornea

4.  Chemical injury to the eye
 Removal of small particulate matter from the eye
 Treatment of foreign body sensation when no particulates
are visible (sometimes successful)

5.  The cornea or conjunctiva may be
mechanically abraded by the tip of the IV
tubing, by the scleral lens, or by an
irrigating stream pointed directly at the
cornea.

7.  Irrigating solution, eg, normal (0.9%) saline,
 IV tubing and IV pole
 Drainage basin and towels to collect irrigation
fluid runoff
 Face/eye protection, gloves, and gown for
operator(s)
 Local anesthetic (eg, 0.5% proparacaine eye-drops)
 Expanded pH paper or pH test strips
 Gauze pads, eyelid retractors
 Cotton-tipped applicators (swabs)
 Scleral (irrigating) lens

8.  Place the patient supine on the bed or stretcher.
 Hang bags of saline irrigation fluid several feet
above the patient’s head (proper fluid flow
depends on this height).
 Place a plastic drainage basin under the
patient’s eye to collect the irrigation fluid and
towels on the stretcher.
 An assistant may be used to retract the eyelids
during irrigation and should stand on the
opposite side of the stretcher.

10.  Patient history
 Record
 Patient comfort
 Checking pH of the eye
 Glove use

11.  Equipment
 Clean and dry work surface or
 Dressing
 Towel or waterproof cape;
 Sterile plastic undine (Fig 2) or intravenous
infusion set;
 Sterile kidney dish;
 Universal indicator strips;
 Local anesthetic drops, as prescribed according
to local policy

12.  Instil local anaesthetic eye drops.
 With the patient lying down, protect the neck and shoulders
with a towel or sheet.
 Place the bowl or kidney dish against the cheek, on the
affected side, with the head tilted sideways towards it.
 Fill the feeding cup or syringe with the irrigating fluid and
test the temperature on your hand.
 Ask the patient to fix his/her gaze ahead.
 Open the eyelids. If necessary, gently use eyelid retractors.

13.  Pour or syringe the fluid slowly and steadily, from no more
than 5 centimeters away, onto the front surface of the eye,
inside the lower eyelid and under the upper eyelid.
 If possible, Evert the upper eyelid to access all of the upper
conjunctiva fornix.
 Ask the patient to move the eye in all directions while the
irrigation is maintained.
 Check and record the visual acuity when the procedure is
finished.
 In alkali and acid burns, refer the patient to an
ophthalmologist for assessment.