Eye Pain and Visual Change 493451.A 21-year-old man presents to the ED with a red eye. The patient
complains of rhinorrhea and a nonproductive cough, but has no eye pain
or discharge. He also has no associated ecchymosis, bony tenderness of the
orbit, or pain on extraocular eye movement. His vision is normal, extraoc-
ular movements are intact, and intraocular pressure (IOP) is 12. A picture
of his eye is shown below. What is the most appropriate management of
this condition?
a. Call ophthalmology immediately.
b. Administer 1% atropine.
c. Elevate patient’s head.
d. Administer ophthalmic timolol.
e. Reassurance only.
452.A 28-year-old mechanic with no past medical history presents to the
ED after a small amount of battery acid was splashed in his right eye. He is
complaining of extreme pain and tearing from his eye. Which of the fol-
lowing is the most appropriate next step in management?
a. Call ophthalmology now.
b. Check visual acuity.
c. Check the pH of the tears.
d. Irrigate with normal saline.
e. Apply erythromycin ointment.
(Reproduced, with permission, from Riordan-Eva P, Asbury T, Whitcher JP.Vaughan & Asbury’s
General Ophthalmology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004: 124.)