Assessment of Dry Eye in Intensive Care Unit Patients

AIM:To access the incidence of dry eye in patients who were admitted in intensive care unit. Materials And Methods: Aprospective case control study among sixty patients aged between 20-70 years who were hospitalized in intensive care unit due to various diseases in a tertiary care hospital For more than seven days. The patients were assessed by Schrimer's test 1 and ocular surface damage assessment by corneal staining using uorescein dye. Conclusion: Incidence of dry eye was 10% on 7th day and 15% on 14th day. Prevalence of dry eye was more in the older age group. As the patients in the intensive care unit are more susceptible to develop dry eye, they should consulted by an ophthalmologist for early diagnosis of ocular surface disorders and prevent permanent damage in eye.