Erythromycin Eye Ointment
Erythromycin Eye Ointment ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is teaching a new mother about erythromycin eye ointment for her newborn.
What should the nurse include in the teaching? (Select all that apply)
The ointment should be administered within 1-2 hours of birth to be effective and may cause minor ocular irritation or redness that lasts for 24-48 hours.
The ointment does not affect the newborn’s ability to see. The ointment may cause temporary blurred vision, but this does not impair the newborn’s vision development.
The ointment does not increase the risk of bleeding if the newborn is also given vitamin K injection. Vitamin K injection is given to prevent bleeding disorders in newborns and has no interaction with erythromycin ointment.
The ointment is not required by law in all states of the United States to prevent eye infections in newborns. Some states have laws that mandate the use of erythromycin ointment for newborns, but others do not. However, it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a standard of care.
The ointment should be administered within 1-2 hours of birth to be effective and may cause minor ocular irritation or redness that lasts for 24-48 hours.
The correct answer is choice A and E. The ointment should be administered within 1-2 hours of birth to be effective and may cause minor ocular irritation or redness that lasts for 24-48 hours.
Choice B is wrong because the ointment does not affect the newborn’s ability to see. The ointment may cause temporary blurred vision, but this does not impair the newborn’s vision development.
Choice C is wrong because the ointment does not increase the risk of bleeding if the newborn is also given vitamin K injection. Vitamin K injection is given to prevent bleeding disorders in newborns and has no interaction with erythromycin ointment.
Choice D is wrong because the ointment is not required by law in all states of the United States to prevent eye infections in newborns.
Some states have laws that mandate the use of erythromycin ointment for newborns, but others do not. However, it is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a standard of care.