How to Apply Tobradex

TobraDex is a prescription medication used to treat and prevent bacterial infections in the eye. The active ingredients in the medication are tobramycin and dexamethasone. Tobramycin is an antibiotic, which halts the growth of bacteria. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid, which reduces inflammation and itching. TobraDex comes in both eye drops and ointment. Both forms are effective, but the application methods are slightly different.

Instructions

Drops

• 1

  Wash your hands with soap and water before using TobraDex.

• 2

  Remove contact lenses from eyes and keep them out for the duration of your treatment with TobraDex, unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

• 3

  Shake the bottle of TobraDex 10 times to mix the ingredients.

• 4

  Administer TobraDex into your eye. Tilt back your head. Use one hand to pull your lower eyelid down, making a space between your eyelid and eyeball. With your other hand, hold the dropper above your eye. Look away from the dropper. Squeeze the dropper to release one drop of TobraDex into the space between your lower eyelid and eyeball. To keep the eye dropper sterile, avoid touching the edge of the dropper to your eye or your hand. Close your eyes for one minute, while applying pressure to the inner corner of your eye, next to your nose, to keep the medicine from draining out. Repeat the process if more than one drop is prescribed, waiting five or more minutes between drops.

• 5

  Wash hands with soap and water to remove any medication.

• 6

  Wait at least 10 minutes before administering other eye medications into the eye and only do so with approval from a doctor.

Ointment

• 7

  Wash hands with soap and water.

• 8

  Remove contact lenses from eyes and keep them out for the duration of your treatment with TobraDex, unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

• 9

  Hold the tube of TobraDex ointment between your hands for two minutes to warm and soften the ointment.

• 10

  Administer TobraDex ointment into your eye. Tilt back your head. Use one hand to pull your lower eyelid down, which will make a space between your eyelid and eyeball. Use your your other hand to hold the tube of ointment above your eye. Look away from the tube. Squeeze the tube lightly to release a small amount of ointment into the space between your lower eyelid and eyeball. To keep the tube sterile, avoid touching the opening of the tube to your eye or your hand. Close your eyes for one minute. Look left and then look right while your eyes are closed, to spread the ointment around your eyeball.

• 11

  Wash your hands with soap and water to remove any TobraDex ointment.

• 12

  Wait at least 10 minutes before administering other eye medications and only do so with approval from a doctor.