The Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI) has included a new parameter in its 2017 Measure Specifications for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Reporting.1 Item AQ128 measures the percentage of patients aged 18 years or older who undergo anesthesia care and do not have a new diagnosis of corneal injury prior to anesthesia end time. This measure is to be reported each time a patient undergoes a procedure with anesthesia not involving patients with pre-existing eye trauma or those patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery.
Anesthesiologists have an obligation to protect patients’ eyes, particularly during non-ocular surgery. As long ago as 1937, Guedel commented that there was “too much conjunctivitis and keratitis following anesthesia.” Today, the incidence of perioperative ocular injury is low (0.03-0.17 percent),primarily because there is heightened awareness of corneal abrasion with more attention paid to intraoperative eye care. However, postoperative eye complaints remain a source of patient distress and...
