This Learning Activity addresses the following objective:

(9) identify common medications which are used for eye conditions, and explain the impact of these and other systemic medications on the visual performance of the student with visual impairments. VIP 2K10; Assessment: Learning Activity 6, Midterm and Final Exams.

In this learning activity, you will be simulating what a TVI or O&M does when they attempt to understand the impact of the medications that their students are taking on their visual functioning.

 

Using either the PDR or the internet, look up each of the drugs listed and answer the following questions:

1. Is it an ocular or a systemic medication?

2. What is the medication designed to do?

3. Are there possible ocular side effects from this medication? If so, what are the most common?

4. Should visual precautions should be taken or what visual modifications should be made to help the student compensate for the impact of this medication? If so, explain.

5. If there are no ocular side effects listed in what you are able to learn about the drug, generalize what you ARE able to find out and explain what you think the impact on the visual system might be.

MEDICATIONS:

1. Chloromycetin

2. Dilantin

3. Albalon

4. Tegretol

5. Naphcon

6. Ritalin

7. Ocufen

8. Fexofenadine

9. Pilocarpine

10. Timoptic

 

EXAMPLE:

This assignment is a little tricky, so I've done one for you. I chose the first medication "chloromycetin" and went to Yahoo. After typing in the name of the drug, I surfed several articles. Under the Next 20 sites, I found one at MedLine (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/chloramphenicolophthalmic202125.html#SXX17) that looked good. I read through it, and then wrote the following:

1. This is an ocular medication.

2. Its purpose is to kill bacteria in the eye.

3. There are no common ocular side effects noted in the literature other than the standard temporary blurring which occurs when any ointment is introduced into the eye.

4. No specific visual precautions or adaptations are indicated.

5. If there is a bacterial eye infection which is left untreated or which is undertreated, the eye will continue to be at risk and may develop other problems.

 

Remember that you are expected to produce UNIVERSITY LEVEL work, so be sure that your answers are complete, easy to read, and well formatted. After you've finished your work, click on the key below to see some good examples of answers to this Learning Activity: