A young girl, toddler aged 2.5 years, consulted me in my Ophthalmic OPD. Her mother informed me that the child complained of pain and "white spot" in her right eye since 1 week.
From distance, it looked like a corneal ulcer - a potentially blinding condition and a matter of grave concern.
The little girl was scared, was crying, was confused and in pain.
Nurse Dianne tried to cheer her up by showing her some funny pictures from her mobile. This helped since Meanwhile me and the child's parents sorted out the possible ways of examining the child.
Option A included general anesthesia and evaluating her under an operating microscope.
Option B included sedating the child, here too consultation with a pediatrician and standby anesthetist would be required. Also, the child would have had to be kept nil per mount for long hours.
Nurse Dianne bonded very well with the little girl and came up with an innovative option C.
Just like infants are screened for ROP, she played around with the little girl, peek-a-boo and wrapped her gently in a towel to restrict her movement of hands and torso. She fooled the girl into believing she is a small baby and they are having "pretend play." Thus with, no general anesthesia, no sedation, no fasting, I could evaluate the child's corneal ulcer in slit lamp, studying depth of the ulcer and relevant signs and plan urgent fortified medication for the girl immediately withoutany unnecessary further delay; which would have been inevitable and deteriorating for the child, but for quick thinking and planning by nurse Dianne.
Both I and the child's parents were thankful to her.
Later I noticed she has kept a candy box where she stores candies to be gifted to pediatric patients to cheer them up.