A 31-year old male patient preparing for photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) must be told to "shake well" which prescribed drops?

In the context of preparing a patient for photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), it is important to provide proper instructions regarding medications, particularly eye drops that may need to be administered post-operatively. Pred Forte, which is a steroid eye drop containing prednisolone acetate, is often prescribed after procedures like PRK to manage inflammation.

Steroid eye drops often require shaking before use to ensure that the medication is well-mixed, as there may be a suspension within the solution that can settle at the bottom of the bottle. Shaking the bottle helps to disperse the active ingredient evenly throughout the liquid, ensuring that the patient receives the appropriate dose when the drops are instilled.

While other eye drops listed may also be prescribed, they do not necessarily require shaking. For instance, Acular is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is typically a solution rather than a suspension, making it unnecessary to shake. Zymaxid is an antibiotic that is also formulated as a solution, and FreshKote, used for dry eye management, does not typically need to be shaken either.

Therefore, instructing the patient to "shake well" applies specifically to Pred Forte to ensure effective treatment and management following their PR