A man recovering from a cataract operation accidentally glued his eye shut when he mistook nail adhesive for eye drops.
The 64 year-old patient was left in agony after squeezing the popular glue – used to attach false nails – into his eye socket.
Doctors who prised open his eyelids with forceps said the case ‘highlights the continuing problem of superglue eye injuries’.
They called for universal safety caps to be added to all household chemical containers.
The patient got Boots Clear Nail Glue (left) mixed up with Timolol eye drops (right)
The man, whose name is unknown, had been prescribed Timolol 0.25 per cent eye drops twice a day after a cataract operation a year earlier.
But the plastic bottle bore a remarkable resemblance to that of the nail glue and he turned up in ‘severe pain’ at Oxford Eye Hospital.
Ophthalmologist Dr Imran Yusuf – whose unit is based at the renowned John Radcliffe Hospital – said: ‘He reported having instilled a common brand of nail glue – Boots Clear Nail Glue – into his left eye two hours previously after mistaking the container for his post-operative Timolol eye drops.
‘During the consultation he produced both bottles demonstrating the similarity in size, shape and opening mechanism of the bottles.’
Dr Yusuf said neither have a protective safety cap.
After applying the glue the patient irrigated his left eye immediately with tap water without any effect on the pain or blurred vision.
In casualty the visual sharpness of the damaged left eye was only half that of the right. Doctors said on examination the eyelids were tightly bound in the middle.
The glue was removed using fine forceps without the need for anaesthesia. The man had also suffered a small tear to the cornea the clear ‘front window’ of the eye.
Thankfully, the patient’s cornea healed and his vision returned after treatment with eye drops and other medications.
A common problem since superglue was sold is dropper bottles
Dr Yusuf said that people injuring themselves by inadvertently supergluing their eyes has been reported frequently since 1982 when the adhesive was repackaged into ‘ophthalmic style dropper bottles’.
And he said the popularity of acrylic and artificial nails led to a rise in household do-it-yourself kits using this new convenient form of superglue packaging.
Revealing the case in BMJ Case Reports, he wrote: ‘This report highlights the fact that nearly 30 years after the first reported cases, no action has been taken by glue manufacturers.
‘Such incidents are expected to occur until superglue bottles are redesigned.’
There have been 36 previously reported cases of such injuries. The average age of patients is 27 – with the youngest aged one and the oldest 61 years.
Suggestions have included distinct designs for medications and glues, a system of colour coding of bottle tops and a safety cap for nail glues and any toxic substance packaged in dropper bottles.
Experts also urged people to keep these items physically apart to avoid confusion.
A Boots spokesperson said: ‘We are really sorry to hear about this accident and wish the gentleman a very speedy recovery.
‘The health and wellbeing of our customers is of the utmost importance to us and we would like to remind customers to keep this nail product away from eyes, there is a caution sticker on the bottle as a warning.
‘If the product does unintentionally get into the eyes follow the safety instructions on the packaging and seek medical advice.’