Is it “pink eye” or is it an “eye infection”?

Effect of “Pink Eye” Label on Parents’ Intent to Use Antibiotics and Perceived Contagiousness

An article published in Clinical Pediatrics this month looked at parents’ perception of acute viral conjunctivitis. A vignette was presented to parents about a child with viral conjunctivitis and parents were randomized to a survey in which the term “pink eye” or “eye infection” was used as the diagnosis. When it is referred to as “pink eye”, parents are more likely to want antibiotics even though they were told about its ineffectiveness. They were also more likely to believe that “pink eye” was more contagious than an “eye infection” and that their child could not go to daycare with pink eye but they could go with an eye infection.

So what is your practice?

Do you give antibiotics to all patients with pink eye, or do you try to advise parents that antibiotics are not effective?

Will you now diagnose viral conjunctivitis as an “eye infection” instead and see if this truly does change parent’s perception of the disease and their request for antibiotics?