Ocular emergencies and trauma
Chemical burns, open globe, retinal detachment, central retinal artery and vein occlusion, acute angle closure and orbital compartment syndrome.
12 pages
- Acute angle closure: what to do before the ophthalmologistA painful red eye with halos, vomiting, a hazy cornea and a hard eye is acute angle closure
- Central retinal artery occlusion: an eye strokeSudden painless visual loss with a pale retina and a cherry-red spot is an eye stroke: emergency…
- Central retinal vein occlusion: workup and follow-upA blocked central retinal vein floods the retina with blood
- Chemical eye burn: irrigate firstAfter a chemical splash the eye is washed at once with any clean water, for 15 to 30 minutes or…
- Corneal and subtarsal foreign bodiesA speck in the eye is found with fluorescein and lid eversion
- Eye emergencies: minutes, hours or daysA few eye emergencies are lost in minutes, others in hours or days
- Eyelid lacerations: which to referA cut eyelid is checked first for an injured eye beneath
- Giant cell arteritis and the eye: treat before the biopsyGiant cell arteritis can cut the optic nerve's blood supply and blind one eye, then the other
- Orbital compartment syndrome and lateral canthotomyBleeding behind the eye after a blow or surgery can choke the optic nerve
- Red eye in a contact lens wearerA painful red eye in a contact lens wearer is a corneal infection until proven otherwise
- Retinal detachment: how fast to referA retinal detachment is repaired by surgery
- Suspected open globe: the first stepsIf an injury may have opened the eye, the exam stops: a rigid shield goes on, nothing presses on…
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Educational content; not a clinical guideline and no substitute for assessment by a health professional. For sudden visual loss, severe eye pain, a chemical burn or an eye injury, go to an emergency department at once.
Representative model, for educational purposes only.