Medical lubricants help ease discomfort in patients and make it quicker and easier for surgeons, doctors, and medical practitioners to perform certain medical and surgical procedures.

Medicinal castor oil, Surgilube, Lignocaine, and even K-Y jelly are popular surgical lubricants.

When should a medical lubricant be used?

Invasive medical procedures requiring the insertion of a medical device or equipment into an orifice are usually the ones you need a proper medical lubricant for.

Just a few include :

Rectal examination
Vaginal examination
Ocular injury – a bland surgical lubricant may be used on the eyes before the lids are shut in procedures when treating injuries such as a corneal abrasion.
Indwelling catheter insertion – the usage of medical lubricant helps reduce the risk of causing harm to tissue and mucous membrane. It also helps prevent urinary tract infections.
Ultrasound
Endoscopy
Inserting a feeding tube
Reproductive procedures
Suppository – Using a water based medical lubricant is advised as something like a petroleum jelly would render the biascodyl suppository ineffective.

When should you avoid the use of medical lubricants:

Any area of the body that is usually dry should be operated or examined without the use of a medical lubricant. So if you are thinking of using lubricants with the otoscope or auriscope, you need only to look from afar – and avoid any introduction of water or oil based surgical lubricants to the patient’s ear, unless the situation absolutely demands it.

Avoid usage in any procedure of the ear and with the exception of bland lubricants, no lubricants should come near the eyes, either.

If you are accessing veins and making a puncture in the skin, then avoid all types of lubrications for this procedure. While some may think that the addition of lubricants for these procedures would help – it actually would create more harm to the circulatory system of the patient rather than being helpful.

Medical lubricants are excellent for reducing friction and helping doctors in several procedures as well as ensuring patient safety.