Question

A nurse instructs a client to close the eyes gently after the administration of eye drops. Which rationale for this instruction should the nurse explain to the client?

a. Limits corneal irritation
b. Forced excess medication from the eyes
c. Disperses the medication over the eyeballs
d. Prevents medication from entering the lacrimal duct

Answer 1

The nurse instructs the client to close the eyes gently after administering eye drops to ensure the medication, such as pilocarpine, is spread evenly across the eyeball, aiding in its therapeutic effects.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse instructs a client to close the eyes gently after the administration of eye drops to disperse the medication over the eyeball. This practice ensures that the medication, such as pilocarpine, which is a muscarinic agonist used to treat various eye disorders, is spread evenly across the eye's surface. When pilocarpine is used, it acts to reverse mydriasis by constricting the pupil through the smooth muscle of the iris and contracting the ciliary muscle. This contraction aids in opening perforations at the base of the cornea, facilitating the drainage of aqueous humor from the anterior compartment of the eye, thereby reducing intraocular pressure in conditions like glaucoma.