Sep 15, 2008 11:18 am US/Eastern
Dr. Mallika's Files: Case Of The Glued Eye
Each week Dr. Mallika Marshall shares cases based on true stories from a local urgent care clinic, exclusively on wbztv.com. Names and identifiable characteristics of patients have been omitted or changed to protect patient privacy.
This Week's Case: A 6-year-old girl was brought to the clinic by her mother saying the child couldn't open her right eye. Her mother said, instead of grabbing her over-the-counter allergy eye drops, she accidentally squirted artificial glue into her daughter's eye. The child's right eyelids were glued securely shut, and she was crying out in pain.
This case illustrates how important it is to check a medication before administering it to your child. So many bottles and pills and liquids look alike that you can easily confuse them. And the consequences can be deadly. Before giving your child a medication (or yourself for that matter), consider the following…
- Did you read the label to make sure it is the correct medication?
- Are you sure about the directions and dosing?
- Has the medication expired?
- Is there any way your child could be allergic to this drug?
- Is your child taking any other medications? If so, is it safe for your child to be taking both?
If you have any concerns about whether it is safe to give your child a medication, always, always, always check with your pediatrician or your pharmacist before giving it.
Follow-up Using warm compresses, the child's eye was successfully opened. She was seen by an eye doctor and placed on eye drops. She is reportedly doing just fine.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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