What considerations apply to prepping around the eyes or periocular region?

• A. Use eye-safe antiseptics, avoid contact with the ocular surface, and follow ophthalmic guidelines to protect vision.
• B. Apply the strongest antiseptic around the eye to ensure disinfection.
• C. Avoid prepping near the eyes to prevent injury.
• D. Wipe the periocular area with plain water only.

Answer: (C)

When prepping around the eyes, the most important idea is to protect the ocular surface while still achieving effective skin antisepsis around the periocular region. The eye is highly sensitive, and harsh antiseptics or solution pooling near the eye can cause irritation or chemical injury to the cornea and conjunctiva. So, the plan is to use antiseptics that are safe for the eye-adjacent area and to take protective measures to keep the eye itself out of harm’s way.

In practice, this means selecting an antiseptic that is ophthalmologically safe for periocular use—commonly a povidone-iodine preparation used with care around the lids and surrounding skin—and avoiding highly irritating solutions near the eye. The eyelids should be closed or shielded, and sterile barriers or moistened pledgets can be employed to prevent the solution from running into the ocular surface. Apply with clean technique to the skin around the eye, not directly onto the eye, and follow the product’s contact-time guidance. If any antiseptic inadvertently contacts the eye, irrigate with sterile saline promptly and monitor for irritation; escalate care if vision is affected.

In short, the goal is protective and precise prep around the eyes: use eye-safe antiseptics, prevent contact with the ocular surface, and follow guidance to safeguard vision while achieving adequate periocular antisepsis.