Conjunctivitus - Pink Eye

HEALTH SERVICES PROTOCOL

It is helpful to think of pink eye like the common cold. Both conditions may be passed on to other children but resolve without treatment. We do not exclude for the common cold. Pink eye generally results in less symptoms of illness than the common cold. The best method for preventing spread is good hand hygiene. 

Exclusion from group setting is not required. Exclusion may be implemented if the child is unable to participate, the child meets other exclusion criteria - such as fever, or there is a recommendation from the health department or the child’s health professional

A health professional may be consulted for diagnosis and possible treatment. The role of antibiotics in preventing spread is unclear. Most children with pink eye get better after 5 or 6 days without antibiotics.

Pink eye is an inflammation (redness, swelling) of the conjunctivae (thin tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids). Pink eye can be bacterial, viral, allergic or chemical.  

Hands become contaminated by direct contact with discharge from an infected eye, or by touching other surfaces that have been contaminated by respiratory tract secretions. It is always important to wash hands thoroughly and often.

Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools, 3rd edition, American Academy of Pediatrics 2013. Pg. 133-134.

2017 ksl