EC Emergency Medicine and Critical Care

Priorities for management of the gravely ill patients in the ICU are based on life-menacing problems; other problems with less immediate outcomes can go undetected. Exposure keratopathy (EK), seen in 37 - 57% of ICU patients, is one of the silent morbidities.

The eyelids, the tear film, the blink, and Bell's phenomenon are the main factors in maintaining the regularity of the ocular surface.

Any lesion or absence of one of these mechanisms variably alters the cornea. The definition of exposure keratopathies varies in the literature, which explains the great variation in the results regarding the incidence and risk factors of their development.

The purpose of our study is to determine the incidence and risk factors of exposure keratopathies in the intensive care unit of the Hospital of Specialties in Rabat, to improve the quality of care of our patients, and to shed the light on the overall management of the patient whose vital prognosis is in danger.

Keywords: Exposure Keratopathy (EK); Intensive Care Unit

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