Ophthalmic Assisting and Clinical Procedures
What the exam tests
Ophthalmic Assisting and Clinical Procedures covers aseptic setup, patient positioning and safe assistance during minor procedures such as foreign-body removal, chalazion surgery and intravitreal injection. Expect sequence and “what would you do next” questions.
Setup and asepsis
Confirm identity, consent and the correct eye before starting. Perform hand hygiene, wear gloves, prepare the skin with povidone-iodine after checking allergy, and maintain a sterile field. Arrange instruments in order of use and pass them with the handle toward the operator. Never reach across a sterile field or touch a needle or cannula tip.
Common procedures
For intravitreal injection, instil topical anaesthetic, apply povidone-iodine, place a lid speculum, confirm the drug and dose with a time-out, and support the patient's head. After injection, check light perception and give post-procedure instructions. For foreign-body removal, good illumination and magnification are essential; refer if the object is embedded or central. After chalazion incision, apply pressure and a dressing as directed.
Worked example
An injection is planned for the right eye. Reasoning: verify the patient's identity, allergy status and right-eye marking; confirm the correct drug, concentration and expiry; perform a team time-out; prepare the conjunctiva with povidone-iodine; keep the needle covered until use; document the procedure and post-injection vision check.
Traps
Do not break sterile technique, prepare the wrong eye, omit the allergy check, or let the patient touch the field. Never recap a used needle, and never give post-procedure advice beyond your role without checking with the ophthalmologist.