1 May 2026Drugs for external use and antisepticsSource update: September 2023
Fluorescein, eye drops
Fluorescein eye-drop guidance for detecting corneal or conjunctival epithelial damage during examination.
This guide page is for structured reference only and does not replace a clinician, pharmacist, or emergency review. Dose choice, route choice, interactions, and safety decisions still need professional judgment.
Therapeutic action
Ophthalmic diagnostic staining agent.
Indications
Detection of corneal or conjunctival epithelial damage.
Forms and strengths
0.5% eye drops in single-use vial.
Dose and duration
Instill 1 or 2 drops into the conjunctival sac.
Ask patient to blink a few times to spread the dye around; remove excess fluorescein and proceed with the examination.
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- May cause local allergic reaction (rare).
- Wait 15 minutes before administering any other kind of eye drops.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication.
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication.
- Use an ophthalmoscope with a blue filter during the examination; under normal light only large lesions are visible.
- Use only single-use vials and discard after use.
Source
MSF Essential drugs practical guidelines (January 2026)
This page reproduces the structured reference information for this batch while leaving out the Storage and Remarks sections.
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