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June 2002
The Red Eye, The Swollen Eye, Volume 4, Number 6
Eye Disorders In The ED Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Camden, NJ.
Kathryn M. McCans, MD, FAAP
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and
1:15 a.m.: A 55-year-old woman arrives in the ED complaining of headache and Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School–
vomiting. She felt fine when she went to bed but woke with a horrible frontal headache Camden, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
and retching. She has never had a headache like this before and has no significant past Jersey, Camden, NJ.
medical history. Although a quick neurologic exam is normal, you think, “I’ll get a head Peer Reviewers
CT, and then I suppose I’ll have to tap her.” Before she leaves the department, the nurse
Robin R. Hemphill, MD
cheerily asks, “Why is her eye so red?”
Associate Residency Director, Department of
1:18 a.m.: Cancel CT. Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt University,
Nashville, TN.
Editor-in-Chief Albuquerque, NM. Michael A. Gibbs, MD, FACEP, Los Angeles, CA. Orange County Emergency
Residency Program Director; Medical Service, Orlando, FL.
W. Richard Bukata, MD, Assistant Francis P. Kohrs, MD, MSPH, Associate
Stephen A. Colucciello, MD, FACEP, Medical Director, MedCenter Air, Alfred Sacchetti, MD, FACEP,
Clinical Professor, Emergency Professor and Chief of the Division
Assistant Chair, Department of Department of Emergency Research Director, Our Lady of
Medicine, Los Angeles County/ of Family Medicine, Mount Sinai
Emergency Medicine, Carolinas Medicine, Carolinas Medical Lourdes Medical Center, Camden,
USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, New York, NY.
Medical Center, Charlotte, NC; Center; Associate Professor of NJ; Assistant Clinical Professor
CA; Medical Director, Emergency
Associate Clinical Professor, Emergency Medicine, University John A. Marx, MD, Chair and Chief,
Department, San Gabriel Valley of Emergency Medicine,
Department of Emergency of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Emergency
Medical Center, San Gabriel, CA. Thomas Jefferson University,
Medicine, University of North Chapel Hill, NC. Medicine, Carolinas Medical Philadelphia, PA.
Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Francis M. Fesmire, MD, FACEP, Center, Charlotte, NC; Clinical
Director, Chest Pain—Stroke Gregory L. Henry, MD, FACEP, Professor, Department of Corey M. Slovis, MD, FACP, FACEP,
Hill, NC. Professor of Emergency Medicine
Center, Erlanger Medical Center; CEO, Medical Practice Risk Emergency Medicine, University
Assessment, Inc., Ann Arbor, and Chairman, Department of
Associate Editor Assistant Professor of Medicine, of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt
UT College of Medicine, MI; Clinical Professor, Department Chapel Hill, NC.
Chattanooga, TN. of Emergency Medicine, University Medical Center;
Andy Jagoda, MD, FACEP, Professor Michael S. Radeos, MD, MPH,
University of Michigan Medical Medical Director, Metro Nashville
of Emergency Medicine; Director, Valerio Gai, MD, Professor and Chair, Attending Physician, Department
School, Ann Arbor, MI; President, EMS, Nashville, TN.
International Studies Program, Department of Emergency of Emergency Medicine,
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, American Physicians Assurance Mark Smith, MD, Chairman,
Medicine, University of Turin, Italy. Lincoln Medical and Mental
New York, NY. Society, Ltd., Bridgetown, Department of Emergency
Michael J. Gerardi, MD, FACEP, Health Center, Bronx, NY;
Barbados, West Indies; Past Medicine, Washington Hospital
Clinical Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor in Emergency
President, ACEP. Center, Washington, DC.
Editorial Board Medicine, University of Medicine Medicine, Weill College of
and Dentistry of New Jersey; Jerome R. Hoffman, MA, MD, FACEP, Medicine, Cornell University, Charles Stewart, MD, FACEP,
Judith C. Brillman, MD, Residency Director, Pediatric Emergency Professor of Medicine/Emergency New York, NY. Colorado Springs, CO.
Director, Associate Professor, Medicine, Children’s Medical Medicine, UCLA School of Thomas E. Terndrup, MD, Professor
Steven G. Rothrock, MD, FACEP, FAAP,
Department of Emergency Center, Atlantic Health System; Medicine; Attending Physician, and Chair, Department of
Associate Professor
Medicine, The University of Vice-Chairman, Department of UCLA Emergency Medicine Center; Emergency Medicine, University
of Emergency Medicine, University
New Mexico Health Sciences Emergency Medicine, Morristown Co-Director, The Doctoring of Alabama at Birmingham,
of Florida; Orlando Regional
Center School of Medicine, Memorial Hospital. Program, UCLA School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL.
Medical Center; Medical Director of
clinical evidence is also evaluated on a scale of I to III, with • Unilateral vs. bilateral
Level I reflecting at least one well-designed randomized • Character of the discharge: purulent vs. clear
clinical trial; Level II, non-randomized, case-controlled, or • Recent exposure to an infected individual
multiple-time trials; and Level III, case reports, descriptive • Trauma: mechanical (as in rubbing an irritated eye) or
studies, or expert opinion. These guidelines are discussed in foreign body, chemical, ultraviolet (UV) light (welder’s
further detail in the subsequent sections of this article. flash, excessive sunlight, skiing without sunglasses,
tanning booth, etc.)
“The eye is the jewel of the body.”—Henry David Thoreau
• Contact lens wear: the type of lens, duration of wear,
(1817-1862), U.S. essayist, poet, naturalist3
hygiene, etc.
The Red Eye • Associated symptoms that may be related to systemic
disease: genital discharge, dysuria, upper respiratory
While the red eye is a very frequent complaint in the ED, infection (URI), skin and mucosal lesions, joint swelling
there are no definite data on its overall prevalence.4 The • Allergy: any systemic complaints
most common causes of the red eye include viral, bacterial, • Use of topical (especially ophthalmic) and/or
and allergic conjunctivitis. While emergency physicians are systemic medications
capable of treating the majority of patients who complain of • Previous episodes of conjunctivitis
a red eye, it is important to differentiate benign and self- • Pregnancy status5
limited conditions from more serious processes. (See Table • Family history of acute angle-closure glaucoma (this is
1.) Such vision-threatening conditions include acute angle- given a rating of A-II)6
closure glaucoma, scleritis, uveitis, and keratitis. (See Table 2
on page 3.) The following are considered moderately important,
History again with Level III evidence:
The AAO categorizes the following elements of the history • Use of personal care items (including eyeliners and
as “A,” or most important; however, the evidence for these other cosmetics)
is rated as Level III: • Previous ophthalmic surgery
• Symptoms and signs: itching, discharge, pain, photo- • Presence of immune dysfunction (e.g., HIV, chemo-
phobia, blurred vision,5 colored halos around lights, therapy, immunosuppression)
headache, or brow pain6 • Prior allergic phenomena, such as atopy or Stevens-
• Duration of symptoms Johnson syndrome
Reproduced with permission: Leibowitz HM. The red eye. N Engl J Med 2000 Aug 3;343(5):345-351. Table 1. Copyright ©2000 Massachusetts Medical
Society. All rights reserved.
2. “He just had some eye pain. That’s not an indication for 7. “He was complaining of eye pain. I told him to take a few
visual acuities.” days off his job as a machinist and it would get better.”
Having an eye complaint (and some say having an eye) is Intraocular foreign bodies rarely get better without surgery.
an indication for visual acuities. They are the “vital sign” of A history of metal-on-metal exposure is key. Look for an
the eye. irregular pupil. A Seidel test (see text) may be positive for
leakage of aqueous humor.
3. “I know he had a lot of pus leaking from the eye, but I
thought he would do fine with some Sulamyd.” 8. “She was just another elderly woman with conjunctivitis
This gentleman had gonococcal ophthalmia and was who came to the ED in the middle of the night.”
admitted the next day. Clues to this diagnosis include By the time the ophthalmologist saw her three days later,
copious pus; an angry, often-hemorrhagic sclera; her IOP was over 80. Conjunctivitis usually does not present
preauricular adenopathy; and anterior chamber with severe eye pain, hazy cornea, and unreactive pupil.
inflammation. Gram’s stain of the discharge will reveal the Check IOPs in suspicious cases; at the very least, compare
gram-negative diplococci within the leukocytes. Such the tension in each eye by fingertip assessment.
patients require admission and parenteral antibiotics.
9. “I looked in his eye and didn’t see a foreign body. All he
4. “Since the H. flu vaccine, I’ve been sending all kids with had were a lot of vertical scratches to his cornea.”
periorbital cellulitis home on oral antibiotics.” And a foreign body under the lid. Evert the lids when a
This child did not do well, even after decompressive patient complains of a foreign body sensation—especially
surgery to the orbit. While it is true that the fierceness of when they demonstrate an “ice rink” sign.
this disease has relented in the past decade, the decision to
10. “I thought she was malingering. She said she was almost
treat as an outpatient must be made on an individual basis.
blind in her right eye, but she blinked when I pretended to
Children who appear toxic, those with proptosis or
poke her in the eye. Besides, her pupil reacted to light.”
impairment of extraocular motions, and patients with
She had optic neuritis, not hysteria. Patients with ON may
decreased vision need admission and parenteral antibiotics.
still have a light reflex; the swinging flashlight test would
5. “It looked like he had fire ant bites to his eyelids. Heck, have been abnormal (if it had been done). Blind patients
they even bit him on the tip of his nose.” still blink when a threat is made to their eye secondary to
Hel-looo…fire ant bites!? Patients with herpes zoster need the corneal reflex in response to a rush of air. (Plus, there
acyclovir, not Benadryl. was nothing wrong with this lady’s other eye.) ▲
No
➤
No
➤
No
➤
The evidence for recommendations is graded using the following scale. For complete definitions, see back page. Class I: Definitely recommended.
Definitive, excellent evidence provides support. Class II: Acceptable and useful. Good evidence provides support. Class III: May be acceptable,
possibly useful. Fair-to-good evidence provides support. Indeterminate: Continuing area of research.
This clinical pathway is intended to supplement, rather than substitute for, professional judgment and may be changed depending upon a
patient’s individual needs. Failure to comply with this pathway does not represent a breach of the standard of care.
Copyright ©2002 EB Practice, LLC. 1-800-249-5770. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format
without written consent of EB Practice, LLC.
• Photophobia?
• Decreased corneal sensation? Yes • Consult with ophthalmologist (Class I)
• Dendrites on fluorescein staining? ➤ • Oral acyclovir or topical antivirals (Class I)
No
➤
No
➤
• Purulent discharge?
• Normal vision? Yes • Age greater than 6: topical antibiotic drops (Class I)
• No keratitis? ➤ • Age less than 6: consider oral antibiotics (Class II)
• No iritis?
No
➤
• Clear discharge?
• Preauricular adenopathy? Yes • No treatment necessary (Class I)
• Normal vision? ➤ • Give precautions regarding transmission of virus
• No keratitis? (Class I)
• No iritis?
The evidence for recommendations is graded using the following scale. For complete definitions, see back page. Class I: Definitely recommended.
Definitive, excellent evidence provides support. Class II: Acceptable and useful. Good evidence provides support. Class III: May be acceptable,
possibly useful. Fair-to-good evidence provides support. Indeterminate: Continuing area of research.
This clinical pathway is intended to supplement, rather than substitute for, professional judgment and may be changed depending upon a
patient’s individual needs. Failure to comply with this pathway does not represent a breach of the standard of care.
Copyright ©2002 EB Practice, LLC. 1-800-249-5770. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format
without written consent of EB Practice, LLC.
Acute Gradual
➤
Probable cause: infectious
Probable diagnoses:
• Tumor
Normal Immunocompromised • Thyroid-related ophthalmopathy
➤
➤
host host • Idiopathic orbital inflammatory
syndrome
Probable cause: bacterial Probable cause: fungal
➤
➤
Probable diagnosis: periorbital cellulitis Probable diagnosis: orbital cellulitis
➤
➤
No Yes
➤
Retinal exam
Probable diagnosis: temporal
arteritis
Pale Congested
➤
The evidence for recommendations is graded using the following scale. For complete definitions, see back page. Class I: Definitely recommended.
Definitive, excellent evidence provides support. Class II: Acceptable and useful. Good evidence provides support. Class III: May be acceptable,
possibly useful. Fair-to-good evidence provides support. Indeterminate: Continuing area of research.
This clinical pathway is intended to supplement, rather than substitute for, professional judgment and may be changed depending upon a
patient’s individual needs. Failure to comply with this pathway does not represent a breach of the standard of care.
Copyright ©2002 EB Practice, LLC. 1-800-249-5770. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any format
without written consent of EB Practice, LLC.
* Other acceptable regimens can be found in the 2000 Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases (see sources).
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1998 guidelines for treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
1998;47(No. RR-1); and The American Academy of Pediatrics. Chlamydial infections, gonococcal infections, herpes simplex infections, meningococcal
infections and Kawasaki Disease. In: Pickering LK, ed. 2000 Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 25th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL:
American Academy of Pediatrics: 1997; 208-212, 254-260, 309-313, 360-363,396-401, 650-656.
Nasolacrimal duct
1. Visual Acuity And The Pinhole Test
If visual acuity improves with looking through a pinhole,
the etiology of visual loss is likely to be optical (uncorrected
Opening of nasolacrimal duct
refractive error, lens or corneal opacity, or vitreous disease)
and not due to diseases of the CNS or the eye.107
Acute Vision Loss Under The Age Of 50 Vision Loss Over The Age Of 60
Optic neuritis is almost exclusively a disease affecting Central Retinal Artery Occlusion
individuals between 15 and 45, with a significant prepon- Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) may be caused by
derance of white females. It has been reported in children; atherosclerotic obstruction, vasospasm, embolism, or
however, less than 1% of cases occur in individuals over 50 systemic hypotension.118 It is associated with systemic
years of age.112,113 The etiology is as yet undetermined. diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis,
Significant visual improvement will occur in the first 4-6 vasculitis, hypercoagulable states, and migraines.
weeks, with 95% of patients having visual acuities of 20/40 The classic presentation is sudden, painless, and severe
twelve months after the episode.114 visual loss. The classic funduscopic finding is a pale,
The onset of visual loss is often rapid (over hours), but edematous retina with a “cherry red spot” representing the
it may develop over days, with maximum visual loss at two unaffected choroidal vascular bed in the ischemic fovea.
weeks. The amount of visual loss varies from mild to severe. When the cherry red spot is present, it implies ischemia of
Many patients also complain of alterations in color vision.115 three hours or longer.
Almost all patients complain of periorbital pain that is The general prognosis is poor; however, there are case
exacerbated by extraocular movements.112 In the majority of reports of return of vision even after 72 hours of arterial
patients, the disease is retrobulbar, so that the disc may occlusion. Interventions of low and unproven efficacy are
appear normal (the origin of the old saw regarding ON—the generally recommended for the emergency physician more
patient doesn’t see anything and the doctor doesn’t see on the basis of “something is better than nothing.” Interven-
anything). In the third of patients who have anterior ON, tions include placing the patient supine and performing
the disc may appear edematous. The diagnosis is largely ocular massage. To do this, apply pressure five seconds on
clinical, relying on the presence of decreased vision (either then five seconds off, for 15-30 minutes. Because carbon
central or peripheral) and an afferent pupillary defect. dioxide dilates cerebral vasculature (and could allow an
Routine lab tests to screen for etiologies other than ON, in arterial clot to “move downstream”), have the patient
the absence of clinical findings, are of very little use.115 rebreathe CO2. If a mixture of 95% O2 5% CO2 is unavailable,
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