Question

The nurse asks a nursing student to describe the procedure for administering erythromycin ointment to the eyes of a newborn. Which statement indicates that further teaching is needed about administration of the eye medication?

1. "I will flush the eyes after instilling the ointment."
2. "I will clean the newborn's eyes before instilling the ointment."
3. "I need to administer the eye ointment within 1 hour of delivery."
4. "I will instill the eye ointment into each of the newborn's conjunctival sacs."

Answer 1

Answer: "I will flush the eyes after instilling the ointment---1

Explanation: Erythromycin ointment is an antibiotic that is used in the prevention of a baby’s eyes from infection with gonorrhea usually after delivery from an infected mother. The application of the eye erythromycin ointment is also known as Eye prophaylaxis and the administrative procedure is all of these

-clean the newborn's eyes before instilling the ointment.

- administer the eye ointment within 1 hour of delivery."

- instill the eye ointment into each of the newborn's conjunctival sacs.

except

flushing the eyes after instilling the ointment.

BECAUSE The eyes should not be flushed after application of the ointment because the flush would wash away the administered medication. Therefore, Options two, three, and four are the right statements regarding the procedure for administering medication to the new born