Eye Injuries

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Eye Injuries
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• WELCOME

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Anatomy of the Eye
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Parts of the Eye

• Conjunctiva
• Thin membrane covering the eye
• Sclera
• The whites of the eye
• Cornea
• The fixed focus lens
• Aqueous Lens
• The fluid that fills a small chamber behind the
  cornea
• The Iris
• The coloured part of the eye
• The Pupil
• The hole inside the iris ring

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Parts of the Eye

• The Vitreous Humour
• Thick jelly like fluid that fills the eyeball
  and keeps it firm
• Retina
• The curved back layer of the eye covered in
  light sensitive cells ( roots cones) that can
  see shapes, colours patterns
• Optic Nerve
• Sends info from the retina to the brain.

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History

• Casualty Sheet
• Mechanism of injury How did it happen, safety
  glasses, time frame, welding?
• Were they wearing contacts?
• Was it a projectile object?
• Was force involved?
• Was the pt working with metal or in an
  environment where there may be metal debris?

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Eye Injuries

• Flying Particles
• Foreign Bodies
• Welding flashes
• Chemicals
• Sharp tools or objects
• Blunt tools or objects

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Foreign Body

• Depending on what it is and how the injury
  happened, a FB may pierce the eye and cause
  serious injury or may simply go away with nil
  long term problems.
• Symptoms Include
• Sharp pain in your eye followed by burning,
  irritation tearing and redness
• Feeling that something is moving around the eye
  when it is closed
• Scratching sensation over your eye when blinking
• Blurred vision or loss of vision in the affected
  eye
• Bleeding into the white part of the eye OR the
  coloured area this indicates a significant
  injury.
• Cant stand the light

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Foreign Body Eye

• Examine the eye
• Ask the pt where they feel the irritation or
  scratching is?
• Irrigate with normal saline
• Invert the upper eyelid with cotton bud - How?
• If visible with the naked eye can remove with
  wet cotton bud-gently swipe.

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Foreign Body

• Rubbing may scratch or push the FB in further
  (Corneal abrasion)
• Eye wash in some cases may be enough
• FB will often hide behind the upper eyelid
• Will scratch if not removed

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Foreign Body
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Rust Ring to Eye

• URGENT Vision can be effected
• Note with metal rings can occur if not removed

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Treatment

• Eye wash
• Look at the pupil are they equal
• Always ask pt if improvement post eye wash
• Always ask the pt to return 2 hours post wash -
  either to you or Medical centre
• A FB Especially metal can cause blindness if not
  treated (rust rings start within 3 hours)
• Corneal Abrasions have good outcome (Heal in
  48hrs) if treated early with AB eye ointment

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Treatment
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Treatment

• Despite irrigating the eye. There may be FB that
  cannot be seen with the naked eye and needs to be
  examined closer contact the OHN
• OHN -If needed during working Hours an
  Ophthalmologist App can be organised.

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Chemical Burns

• Wash immediately with copious amounts of water
• Get MSDS
• Treatment essential OHN
• Usually treated 2-3L N/Saline.
• Sent off for further treatment
• Lead to infection, scarring, loss of sight

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Penetrating Eye Injuries

• Sharp or blunt injuries
• Medical Emergency
• Potentially cause blindness
• Preventable

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Conjunctivitis

• Infection Eye
• General Health Issue
• Watery
• Redness
• Itchy
• Irritation

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Lime Burns
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Flash Burns

• Welding without safety shield or standing close
  to someone welding
• Usually occurs 6-12 hours after event
• Inflammation of the cornea (the clear tissue that
  covers the front of the eye)
• Like sunburn in the eye
• Usually heals in 1 2 days without leaving a
  scar
• If not treated can lead to infection

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Symptoms

• Pain mild or severe
• Bloodshot eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Watery eyes
• Blurred vision
• The feeling of having something in your eye

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Treatment

• Examination of the eye stain eye
• Phenylepherine drops ( FB must be excluded prior
  to use)
• May require panadiene forte
• Antibiotics
• Review by ophthalmologist

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• If you have any questions, please ask your
  supervisor