Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Eyes Instead of Ears: Eye Injuries Following Ocular Exposure to Otic Medications.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Tater, Kathy et al.
- Affiliation:
- From the Veterinary Information Network · United States
Plain-English summary
A study looked at cases of dogs and cats that accidentally got ear medications in their eyes, analyzing 79 cases reported to a poison control center. Most of these incidents (95%) involved prescription medications, and common signs included eye redness, squinting, watery eyes, and eye ulcers. The main reason for these accidents was that pet owners confused ear drops with eye drops, which happened in 86% of the cases. In a few instances, the medications were mistakenly given to the pet instead of being applied correctly, and in a couple of cases, it was done on purpose. The findings suggest that better packaging and storage of these products could help prevent such mix-ups in the future.
Abstract
To determine the epidemiology of ocular exposures and toxicoses in dogs and cats from otic products, 79 dog and cat cases with an ocular exposure to a topical otic medication were retrieved from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control Center database. Prescription products were involved in 75/79 (95%) of cases, and over-the-counter products in 4 (5%). Clinical signs included conjunctivitis, blepharospasm, epiphora, ocular discharge, and corneal ulceration. Medication error, specifically involving mistaken identification (i.e., an otic product confused with an ophthalmic product), occurred in 68/79 (86%) of cases. In 4 of these 68 cases, an otic instead of an ophthalmic medication was mistakenly dispensed to the pet owner. Unintentional delivery (i.e., accidental ocular exposure in the course of an otic application) occurred in 9/79 (11%) of cases, and 2 (3%) cases involved intentional delivery of otic products to the eyes. Because mistaken identification was the most common cause of ocular toxicoses from otic products, separate storage and/or distinctive packaging for ophthalmic versus otic products could reduce medication errors. Animal poison control center epidemiological data can be used as a source of information regarding veterinary medication errors.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36584316/