Published September 3, 2024
A woman went to the emergency department (ED) after putting a drop of nail glue (ethyl cyanoacrylate) into her eye by mistake instead of her eye drops (Figure 1). When she got to the ED, her eyelid was glued shut with a contact lens inside. The ED staff used mineral oil to break up the glue and gave her an antibiotic ointment for her eye. Eventually, she could open her eyelid enough to remove the contact lens and they rinsed her eye with an eyewash solution.
This is not the first time we have heard about people accidentally confusing eye drop containers with other look-alike containers. Previously, we described an error in which a woman with poor eyesight had been putting glucose control solution into one of her eyes instead of medicine to treat her glaucoma. In another article, a person glued their eyelids shut after accidentally grabbing Super Glue instead of one of their eye medicines. We also shared the story of an older woman who inadvertently instilled ear wax removal drops (carbamide peroxide 6.5%) into her eye causing irritation and redness even after rinsing her eye for 15 minutes.
Here's what you can do: Any product packaged in bottles (or tubes) that look like eye drops or ointments might be confused and result in a mistake. These products should never be kept in areas where eye medicines are stored. Never put any medicine into your eye in the dark. Make sure you turn on the lights and read the label before use.
