BMJ 2002;324:1314 ( 1 June )

Filler

A medical mishap

Caustic eye drops

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

A patient attending for day case cataract surgery had phenol drops instilled into the right eye instead of bupivacaine local anaesthetic. Although bupivacaine is the only eye drop used in the day case centre in this type of bottle, phenol is used topically by chiropodists. The similarity of the bottles highlights the importance of reading a label before administration of a treatment. This mishap also shows the need for cross specialty risk management when different departments use the same work space. The caustic burn was treated successfully, and the patient eventually achieved good vision after uncomplicated cataract surgery.

Austin G McCormick, senior house officer, department of ophthalmology. 

Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield

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