Comm Eye Health Vol. 31 No. 103 2018 pp 67. Published online 09 November 2018.
How to make fluorescein strips
Related content
Fluorescein strips are an essential diagnostic tool in eye care. They are useful for performing a number of procedures, such as measuring intraocular pressure, assessing dry eye and detecting corneal abrasions. Unfortunately, this basic item is not commonly available in many resource-limited settings. Here we describe how we make fluorescein strips at Mbarara University and Regional Referral Hospital Eye Centre.
What you will need
- Sterile filter paper (e.g., Whatman no. 1)
- A sterile bowl, such as a kidney dish
- Fluorescein sodium powder (20 g)
- Distilled sterile water (100 ml)
- A pair of scissors
- Empty injectable vials or any other small, sealed containers
- A sterile surface
- Sterile gloves, mask and apron.
Procedure
- Assemble all the materials on a clean tray
- Put on sterile gloves, mask and apron
- Prepare a 20% fluorescein solution by dissolving 20 g of fluorescein sodium powder in 100 ml distilled, sterile water
- Cut the filter paper into rectangles of approximately 5 cm wide and 8–10 cm long
- Pour a small amount of fluorescein solution into the bowl. Be careful not to spill, as fluorescein leaves stains
- Dip the long edge of the filter paper in the fluorescein solution and immediately remove it, as the solution spreads very quickly through the paper (Figure 1)
- Place the dipped filter papers onto a sterile surface to dry
- Once they are dry, use a pair of scissors to cut the paper into strips, with the dipped edge at one end (Figure 2)
- Store the strips in a sterile, sealed container (Figure 3).