Monday, October 11, 2010

Eyeball Injuries

Just a few days ago, my younger daughter, aged 7, and I sat in the office of the local eye doctor. She, the doctor, announced my child's distress was due to a scratched eyeball. And thus this blog. Scratches to the eye that do not involve any loss of sight--which the local doc made sure of--are best treated with an ophthalmic ointment and no patch. They usually heal faster, in a couple of days, without a patch, and foregoing the patch allows the owner of the eye to keep walking in the woods--if that's where you are--without being blind in one eye. I probably would not rinse the eye unless I had sterile eye wash. The abrasion will hurt, and tears will pretty much wash out the wound. A small, inexpensive tube of eye ointment is available OTC and a great idea for a first aid kit. Out there, tell the eye owner to keep sunglasses on as much as possible. If pain is really severe, however, after an injury to the eye, I would seek medical attention for the patient. I would, however, not necessarily place a patch over the eye. If I saw blood leaking from an open wound in the eye and/or if there is a loss of ability to focus that eye, I would seek medical attention also. Remember, however, the patient will be usually be light-sensitive, and that is not a loss of ability of focus. With a bleeding wound to the eye, I would patch the eye. If a hike out is then required, please assign someone to walk, at all times, with the patient.

1 comment:

Kurt said...

Good stuff as always, Buck. Thanks!