Semtember 23, 2015 - By Anand Swaminatham
Originally published at CoreEM.net, Reposted with permission.
Written by: Jeffret Dela Cruz // Edited By: Anand Swaminathan
"Definition: An injury to the eye occurring as a result of direct trauma. It may cause visual changes, eye pain/discomfort, and changes to the appearance of the eye.
Approach: Be methodical with your history and physical. If the patient describes trauma that occurred to the eye, ask about the mechanism of the injury. This will help differentiate possible pathologies. A patient will also describe their eye complaints in a way that will help lead you to a diagnosis, such as having a “foreign body sensation” or seeing “flashing lights.”
Several differential diagnoses to consider:
- Globe Rupture (Open Globe)
- Hyphema
- Retrobulbar hematoma
- Retinal detachment
- Corneal abrasion/ulceration"
http://www.emdocs.net/core-em-traumatic-ocular-injuries/