Eye & contact lens
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Comparative Study
Flammability of common ocular lubricants in an oxygen-rich environment.
Approximately 100 surgical fires take place in the United States each year. Recently, an ophthalmic lubricant was blamed for burning a child's eye while oxygen was administered during surgery. This study sought to determine whether four common ocular lubricants would ignite and sustain combustion in an oxygen-rich or standard room air environment. ⋯ The ocular lubricants in this experiment showed no detectable tendency to ignite, even with direct application of the ignition source. Factors such as body hair or oxygen pooling likely provided the conditions necessary for the surgical fire. Most importantly, the ophthalmic lubricants tested actually protected the corneal epithelium and decreased damage to the conjunctiva and lids.