Ocular emergencies visits after corneal transplantation at a tertiary eye care hospital in Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the characteristics of patients with post-keratoplasty complications and their presentation at an emergency center. DESIGN: Retrospective one-armed cohort study. METHODS: Data were evaluated on patients who underwent corneal grafts in 2019 and presented to an emergency unit. Data were collected on patient demographics, presenting symptoms, clinical details, diagnosis at emergency visit, final diagnosis, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at presentation and at the last follow-up after management. Severe visual impairment (SVI) and graft rejection were tested for correlations to other factors. RESULTS: The study sample was comprised of 149 eyes of 124 patients with a mean age of 27.5 years. Keratoconus was the indication for keratoplasty in 94 (75.8%) patients. The main presenting symptoms were pain 57 (38.3%) and red eye in 52 (34.9%) patients. The median interval between emergency visit and keratoplasty was 1.6 years. There were 63 (42.3%) patients who had emergency visits due to suture-related problems. The rates of SVI and graft rejection at the time of discharge after managing emergencies in eyes with previous keratoplasty were 14.1% (95% CI 8.5; 19.7) and 13.4 (95% CI 7.9; 18.9), respectively. Keratoconus (OR = 22.8) and young age (P < 0.001) were negatively associated with SVI after management. CONCLUSION: Patients with keratoplasty are at high risk for severe vision loss and should be counseled to seek urgent eye care for early detection and management of sight-threatening complications to improve graft survival and vision.

A Narrative Review of Common Uses of Ophthalmic Ultrasound in Emergency Medicine.

BACKGROUND: The timely evaluation of ocular conditions in the emergency department (ED) can be difficult due to a general lack of specialized equipment, trained personnel, and the time-sensitive nature of emergent ocular conditions. Recently, the use of ocular point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has been shown to be particularly useful in the ED. POCUS can be used to promptly diagnose various ocular pathologies, which include ocular trauma, vitreous hemorrhage, central retinal artery occlusion, and retinal detachment. OBJECTIVES: This narrative review seeks to inform the reader of current literature regarding the use of POCUS for the assessment of various ocular emergencies in the ED. The goal of this review is to provide the emergency physician with succinct and up-to-date information and instruction regarding the current uses of POCUS for patients presenting with particular ocular emergencies. Ocular pathologies that are common (ocular trauma) or for which ultrasound is particularly useful (such as retinal detachment) are discussed. Other ocular pathologies are also briefly discussed, such as central retinal artery occlusion, which is a promising new application for ultrasound evaluation. DISCUSSION: There have been many studies that provide evidence for the utility of POCUS in the evaluation of trauma and other ocular pathologies, including vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, and central retinal artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular POCUS is a useful modality in the evaluation of acute ocular complaints in the ED. Emergency physicians should be aware of these findings and feel confident in the utility of ocular POCUS in the ED.

From Temple to Emergency Room: A Chemical Injury Case Report.

Calotropis is a small perennial plant that is native to regions with tropical climates in countries like India, where it is found throughout the country. The leaves of the Calotropis plant have been used as an offering to gods since ancient times. Accidental contact with the sap of the plant, called latex, can lead to eye injury and affect vision significantly if left untreated. However, if treated in time and appropriately, vision can be restored. A 30-year-old gentleman reported to emergency medicine with accidental contact in his right eye with Calotropis plant sap. He had complaints of blurring of vision, foreign body sensation, and intolerance to light. On ocular examination, there was conjunctival congestion with corneal edema with Descemet's membrane folds. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the right eye was 6/18 parts not improving on the pinhole. The patient was started on systemic and topical antibiotics, topical steroids, and lubricating drops immediately. After two months of treatment, the vision improved gradually, the BCVA in the right eye was 6/6, and the patient was asymptomatic. This is a case report of an uncommon injury due to plant sap, with grave consequences if left untreated. Early intervention and prompt medical management led to recovery in a short time period.

A Triggering Event of Central Retinal Artery Occlusion With Concurrent Ischemic Stroke.

We report a case of central retinal artery occlusion with concurrent ischemic stroke in a young patient. A 34-year-old Malay gentleman, an ex-smoker with underlying dyslipidemia, however, not on medication or follow-up, presented with acute, generalized, and painless right eye blurring of vision for one day. He also complained of on-and-off headaches for the past three months prior to the presentation. Visual acuity assessment demonstrated hand movement in the right eye, whereas in the left eye, it was 6/6, along with a right eye relative afferent pupillary defect. His right eye showed reduced optic nerve function and unremarkable anterior segment, with fundus examination revealing the presence of a cherry red spot, pale macula, boxcarring pattern over superior arcuate, and vascularized retina over inferior optic disc with blurred optic disc margin. The left eye examination was unremarkable. All cranial nerves were intact, except for the optic nerve. He was admitted to the ward. While in the ward, he developed a sudden onset of left-sided upper and lower limb weakness and numbness and was diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke. Blood investigations showed raised low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 3.51 mmol/L, anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positive, with electrocardiogram (ECG) sinus rhythm, and no atrial fibrillation. The echocardiogram was normal, and computed tomography angiography of the brain showed non-opacification at the origin and proximal part of the right ophthalmic artery, suspicious of thrombosis with distal reconstitution, with no evidence of thrombosis in the rest of neck and intracranial arteries. The patient was started on aspirin 150 mg once a day and atorvastatin 20 mg at night; subsequently, his vision improved slightly.

Bilateral Open Globe Injury Secondary to the King of Fruits: Durian Fall.

We report a case of bilateral open globe injury that resulted from a durian fruit falling on a 62-year-old woman's unprotected face during durian picking in her orchard. On presentation, the bilateral vision was light perception. The right eye sustained a curvilinear corneal laceration with expelled intraocular content. Meanwhile, the left eye sustained a corneoscleral laceration with expelled uvea and retina. Additionally, the right upper lid margin was lacerated. Emergency wound exploration, primary toilet, and suturing were performed on bilateral eyes. Preoperatively, she received intramuscular anti-tetanus toxoid and intravenous ciprofloxacin. Intravitreal ceftazidime and vancomycin were given intraoperatively as endophthalmitis prophylaxis. Postoperatively, the vision remained as light perception. There were no signs of endophthalmitis in both eyes. Although traumatic globe injury due to durian is uncommon, individuals should wear protective gear while in a durian orchard to avoid such unprecedented accidents. Prompt yet scrupulous action should be taken to save the globe and further possible complications.

Effect of COVID-19 Lockdowns on Eye Emergency Department, Increasing Prevalence of Uveitis and Optic Neuritis in the COVID-19 Era.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the reorganization of the health care system. A decline in health- and life-saving procedures has been reported in various medical specialties. However, data on ophthalmic emergencies during lockdowns is limited. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational, case-control study of 2351 patients registered at the ophthalmic emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Poland during three national COVID-19 lockdowns (March/April 2020, November 2020, and March/April 2021) and corresponding months in 2019. Results: The total number of visits declined from a mean of 720/month in the non-COVID era to 304/month during COVID-19 lockdowns (p < 0.001). Ocular trauma incidence dropped significantly from 2019 (non-COVID months) to 2020/2021 (COVID group mean 201 vs. 97 patients monthly, respectively, p = 0.03). Of note, the percentage of foreign bodies removal was significantly higher during lockdowns than corresponding time in the non-COVID era. A downward trend for vitreous detachment and macular disorders cases was observed between COVID and non-COVID time. Uveitis and optic neuritis patients were seen more often during lockdowns (p < 0.001 and p = 0.0013, respectively). In contrast, the frequency of conjunctivitis and keratitis, potentially COVID-related problems, decreased significantly in COVID-19 time (mean 138 vs. 23 per month in non-COVID vs. COVID lockdowns, respectively, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The overall number of eye emergency visits declined during COVID-19 lockdowns. Conjunctivitis and keratitis rates dropped during the lockdowns. Interestingly, the frequency of immune-mediated ocular conditions (uveitis, optic neuritis) increased significantly which might be triggered by SARS-CoV2 infection.

Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: Can We Effectively Manage This Ocular Emergency in a Hospital Setting?

Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is an ophthalmological emergency characterized by partial or complete occlusion of the central retinal artery. It is the ocular equivalent of an ischemic cerebral stroke. Patients frequently present with a significant, abrupt, painless loss of vision in one eye, with only around 20% of those affected getting functional visual acuity restored in the affected eye. Despite more than 150 years of clinical research, no consensus has been achieved regarding the most effective method of treating CRAO. The efficacy of all proposed treatments is debatable, and many of them have ambiguous risk profiles that present particular diagnostic and management difficulties and cause variations in clinical practice. In certain circumstances, thrombolysis may be attempted as a treatment option. However, the evidence to support the general use of thrombolytics in treating acute CRAO remains elusive. It is known that the risk factors predisposing to other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events are often present in CRAO. Accordingly, identifying patients at the highest risk of stroke and secondary prevention of ischemic events remains the primary focus of management. This review offers a summary of all the current treatment options available for managing CRAO, with particular reference to their limitations and inconsistent results found in relevant studies until 2022.

Ocular emergencies presenting to an emergency department in Central Spain from 2013 to 2018.

PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of ocular conditions among patients presenting to an emergency department at a tertiary hospital in Spain. METHODS: A retrospective, longitudinal analysis of all patients who presented to the ocular emergency department of Rio Hortega University Hospital, Valladolid, Spain, from 2013 to 2018 was performed. Data on demographics, ophthalmic examination, and diagnosis were collected. Diseases were classified according the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. RESULTS: We had 20,822 patients, of which 10,878 (52.2%) were women. The main age categories were 45-65 years (7391 patients; 35.5%) and 15-45 years (5979 patients; 28.2%). Most of the patients (17,793; 85.5%) were discharged on the same day. Conjunctival pathology was the most common cause of presentation (4110; 19.7%), followed by corneal disorders (4025; 19.3%). Acute conjunctivitis was diagnosed in 2920 (14%) and ocular trauma in 2125 (10.2%) patients. Non-emergency ophthalmic conditions were diagnosed in 1581 (7.6%) patients. Retinal detachments and peripheral holes occurred more commonly in patients aged 45-65 years (p <0.001). Corneal or conjunctival disorders and lid inflammation (p <0.001) were more frequent in women, whereas men had higher incidences of trauma (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Most of our patients presented ocular surface diseases. Men were more vulnerable to trauma, mainly superficial foreign body. The majority of the patients presented with uncomplicated ocular conditions that would be managed more cost-effectively by primary health care providers. We advocate greater education of primary care physicians and patients in managing simple ocular emergencies to reduce the cases presenting to an emergency department of a tertiary hospital.

Open Globe Injury Secondary to "Durian" Fruit Fall.

A devastating ocular injury can be caused by durian, the "king of fruits." We report a case of open globe injury secondary to a durian fruit fall. A 54-year-old unfortunate male was accidentally hit by a durian fruit that fell from a tree. The fruit hit directly his right face and eye. He experienced a transient loss of consciousness. He sustained extensive corneal and multiple scleral lacerations with total hyphema, iridodialysis, posterior dislocation of the lens, and retinal detachment. There were also multiple sites of a puncture wound on the right side of the face and right upper lid laceration. Primary suturing of corneal and scleral laceration with anterior chamber washout was performed. The right visual acuity remained poor postoperatively. Durian fruit injury to the eye may lead to severe devastating ocular complications that lead to blindness. The prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.

Diagnosis and Management of Corneal Abrasion Perception of (Primary Health Care Physicians and Emergency Physicians) and its Determinants in Saudi Arabia - A Survey.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine knowledge, practice, and resources available to primary care physicians to diagnose and manage corneal abrasion in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was held in 2017. Family physicians and emergency physicians attending an international conference were surveyed. The questions related to demography, invagination, and tools available in their institute were collected. The questionnaire on how to diagnose and how they manage case of corneal abrasion was also collected using tablet-based software. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-five participants participated in the survey. Exposure to eye patients in two-third of participants was too low (93; 39.6%). Resources for diagnosing corneal abrasion were available in limited centers (51; 21.7%). The rate of good practice to manage corneal abrasion was 21.2% (95% confidence interval 16.0; 26.5). Certified emergency physicians (P < 0.001) and western and central regions (P < 0.001) were positively associated with good practice. Availability of slit lamp (P = 0.2) was not significantly associated with the level of practice to manage corneal abrasion. Fluorescein staining and use of cobalt blue light are essential for diagnosing corneal abrasion as per 40% of participants. About 44.7% of participants replied that antibiotics and lubricants should be used to treat. Nearly one-fourth of participants suggested urgent reference to the ophthalmologist. Use of specific antibiotic varied widely; however, ofloxacin was the main choice of antibiotic in treating corneal abrasion. CONCLUSION: The knowledge and practice among physicians about corneal abrasion were low. Integrating primary eye care into emergency services through provision of required resources and training physicians is recommended.

Usefulness of point-of-care ultrasound for the evaluation of non-traumatic eye emergencies. / Utilidad de la ecografía clínica en la valoración de la patología ocular urgente no traumática.

The role of clinical ultrasound or Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in patients with urgent pathology has expanded exponentially in recent years. With clinical ultrasound, physicians can make a quick assessment and decide how to act in time critical situations. Ocular ultrasound is one of the most recently developed applications. In patients with severe non-traumatic ocular pathology it has numerous clinically relevant uses: retinal detachment, occlusion of the central retinal artery or optic nerve pathologies, among others. The technique is widely available, easy to perform, and can provide information even when fundoscopy is impossible. In this review, we describe the bases of clinical ocular ultrasound, focusing on the management of the main non-traumatic urgent ophthalmological pathologies that the physician may face in their clinical practice.

Patch Grafting Using a Cryopreserved Descemet Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty Flap for Treating Corneal Perforation.

A 73-year-old woman with a corneal perforation of undetermined etiology was treated with corneal patch grafting. A residual partial-thickness corneal button obtained during a previous Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) surgery and stored at -80°C in Optisol GS for 3 months was used as a patch graft. Five days postoperatively, the anterior chamber was reformed and the perforation was masked by the donor cornea. During the next several weeks, gradual displacement of the anterior edge of the donor cornea in the limbal direction occurred. Seven weeks postoperatively, further displacement of the donor cornea resulted in unmasking of the perforated area. At this time, the corneal defect was closed by stromal scar tissue and corneal epithelium. Five months postoperatively, best corrected visual acuity was 1.0 without marked astigmatism and intraocular pressure was 9 mm Hg in the left eye. From this case, we learned that cryopreserved DSAEK flaps stored longer than reported previously can be used as patch grafts to treat emergency conditions. Scar tissue can fill a corneal stromal defect 1 mm in diameter during temporary patch grafting for less than 2 months.

Utilidad de la ecografía clínica en la valoración de la patología ocular urgente no traumática / Usefulness of point-of-care ultrasound for the evaluation of non-traumatic eye emergencies

El papel de la ecografía clínica o Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) en los pacientes con patología urgente se ha expandido exponencialmente en los últimos años. Con la ecografía clínica los médicos pueden realizar una evaluación rápida y decidir cómo actuar en situaciones en las que el tiempo es vital.La ecografía ocular es una de las aplicaciones desarrolladas más recientemente. En los pacientes con patología ocular grave no traumática tiene numerosos usos clínicamente relevantes: desprendimiento de retina, oclusión de la arteria central de la retina o patologías del nervio óptico, entre otras.La técnica está ampliamente disponible, es de fácil realización y puede proporcionar información incluso cuando la fundoscopia es imposible.En esta revisión describimos las bases de la ecografía clínica ocular centrándonos en el manejo de las principales patologías oftalmológicas urgentes no traumáticas a las que se puede enfrentar el médico en su práctica clínica. (AU)

The role of clinical ultrasound or Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in patients with urgent pathology has expanded exponentially in recent years. With clinical ultrasound, physicians can make a quick assessment and decide how to act in time critical situations.Ocular ultrasound is one of the most recently developed applications. In patients with severe non-traumatic ocular pathology it has numerous clinically relevant uses: retinal detachment, occlusion of the central retinal artery or optic nerve pathologies, among others.The technique is widely available, easy to perform, and can provide information even when fundoscopy is impossible.In this review, we describe the bases of clinical ocular ultrasound, focusing on the management of the main non-traumatic urgent ophthalmological pathologies that the physician may face in their clinical practice. (AU)

Profile of ocular emergencies in a tertiary hospital from Northeast of Brazil / Perfil das emergências oculares em um hospital terciário do Nordeste do Brasil

PURPOSE: To evaluate the profile of all the visits to the ophthalmic emergency service at a tertiary hospital in the city of Sobral, Ceará, northeast of Brazil. METHODS: A survey was carried out of all patients attended at ophthalmology emergency service of the department of ophthalmology of Santa Casa of Sobral, during the period between may and october 2008. Data on patient's age, sex, level of education, residential address, health insurance status, average distance to our service, time between the initial symptoms and first visit to the hospital, site of medical evaluation indication, diagnosis, and veracity of emergency indication. All these data were collected during interview and ophthalmological examination. RESULTS: A total number of 1,024 patients were analyzed in the study. Mean and standard deviation to age was 31.5 ± 17.1 years (ranging from zero to 81). Sixty-five per cent of the patients were male and 35 percent female. Twenty-one per cent of the patients lived at least 50 kilometers away from the Santa Casa of Sobral. Ocular traumas (40.9 percent) of any nature were the most frequent occurrence, followed by infections (29 percent). About 45 percent of cases were not considered as a true emergency and could be managed in primary or secondary health care centers. About the initial symptoms and first visit to the hospital, only 24 percent of the patients went to the ophthalmology emergency room on the same day in which their symptoms started. CONCLUSION: A great number of patients attended or treated at the ophthalmology emergency service of Santa Casa of Sobral presented with common ocular disorders of simple resolution. Therefore there is a failure in the primary and secondary health care to manage it. Certainly a considerable proportion of these patients had conditions which could have been diagnosed and treated in an ophthalmic outpatient clinic or by general practitioners.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o perfil dos atendimentos no serviço de emergência oftalmológica de um hospital terciário na cidade de Sobral, Ceará, nordeste do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se um estudo em todos os pacientes atendidos no serviço de emergência do departamento de oftalmologia da Santa Casa de Sobral no período entre maio e outubro de 2008. Dados sobre idade e gênero dos pacientes, nível de escolaridade, origem, distância percorrida para chegar ao hospital, seguro de saúde, período entre os sintomas iniciais e o primeiro atendimento no hospital, origem do encaminhamento, diagnóstico e veracidade da emergência foram coletados durante entrevista e exame oftalmológico. RESULTADOS: Mil e vinte e quarto pacientes foram analisados no estudo. A idade média dos pacientes foi de 31,5 ± 17,1 anos (variando entre zero e 81). Sessenta e cinco por cento dos pacientes pertenciam ao sexo masculino e 35 por cento ao sexo feminino. Vinte e um por cento dos pacientes procederam de localidades distantes pelo menos 50 quilômetros da Santa Casa de Sobral. Traumas oculares (40,9 por cento) de qualquer natureza foram a ocorrência mais comum, seguido por infecções (29 por cento). Aproximadamente 45 por cento dos casos não foram considerados uma emergência real e poderiam ser tratado em níveis primário e secundário de atendimento. Apenas 24 por cento dos pacientes compareceram a emergência oftalmológica no mesmo dia do início dos sintomas. CONCLUSÃO: Muitos pacientes atendidos no serviço de emergência oftalmológica da Santa Casa de Sobral apresentaram doenças comuns, de simples resolução, o que pode ser reflexo de falhas na rede de atendimento primária e secundária. Certamente uma parcela destes pacientes poderia ter sido diagnosticada e tratada numa clínica oftalmológica ou por médicos gerais.

Clinical Features of Ocular Trauma in Emergency Department

This study analyzed a hospital-based study to investigate the incidence and clinical features of ocular traumatic emergencies in Korea. Over a 6-year period, 1809 patients with ocular traumatic emergency each individually underwent clinical study including subject characteristics, type of ocular emergency, disease severity, etiology of ocular trauma, injury location, cause of decreased visual acuity, management of ocular injury, and final visual acuity. The homogeneity of each finding of the clinical features of ocular traumatic emergency was tested by an X2 test at a 95% level of certainty. During follow-up periods ranging from 3 days to 23 months (mean 2.0 months), the 1809 patients with ocular traumatic emergency, 1183 males (65.4%) and 626 females (34.6%), were studied. The incidence of ocular emergencies peaked in the third decade of life, irrespective of gender (P< 0.05). Corneal abrasion was the most common etiology among 1, 552 (85.8%) closed injuries, and corneal laceration among 257 (14.2%) open injuries (P< 0.05). There were 542 cases (30%) of severe ocular injury, such as penetrating ocular injury, blow out fracture, and intraocular foreign body (IOF), and 1267 (70%) of less severe ocular injury, such as superficial ocular injury or contusion. The most common etiology of severe ocular injury was penetrating ocular injury, and that of less severe injury was corneal injury (P< 0.05). The main causative activity of ocular injuries was work in 631 cases (34.9%), assault in 398 (22.0%), play in 278 (15.4%), traffic accidents in 145 (8.0%) and sports in 128 (7.1%). Five hundred and fifty-four cases (32.5%) underwent surgical intervention. There was an improvement of visual acuity in 502 cases (70.1%), no change in 122 (17.0%), and worsening in 92 (12.9%). We suggest that preventive educational measures be instigated at workplaces to reduce the incidence of ocular traumatic emergency, especially severe ocular injury.