Eye Injuries
Possible Complications
Infection and scarring – if the foreign body is not removed from your eye.
Corneal scratches and abrasions – a foreign body may scratch the cornea.
Ulcer – a scratch on the cornea may form an ulcer.
Penetration of the eye – an object can pierce the eye, causing serious injury and even blindness.
Corneal scarring – this can cause some degree of permanent visual loss.
Minor Eye Injury
Bleeding into the white of the eye.
Obvious foreign body in the eye such as sand, grit, dirt.
Inability to open the eye due to pain.
Sensitivity to light.
Sharp pain to the eye.
Red eye.
Feeling that there is something in the eye.
Swelling around the eye.
Watery eye.
Scratchy feeling when blinking.
Blurred vision or loss of vision in the affected eye.
Reassure the casualty and sit/lay the casualty down away from bright lights or sunlight.
Irrigate the eye gently with cool, clean water or saline in an attempt to flush the foreign object out.
Ensure you irrigate under the eyelid.
If this fails, touch the corner of a clean wet cloth to the object and lift it off the surface – use a lint free cloth. Avoid ‘pushing’ the object around the eye’s surface.
If the injury is caused by chemical or heat burns, irrigate the eye with cool clean water for approximately 20 minutes.
Cover the affected eye if appropriate and if tolerated by the casualty, cover the unaffected eye as well, as this will help to reduce eye movement. Be prepared to remove the cover if the casualty becomes anxious.
Only use eye drops if prescribed by a doctor.
Seek Urgent Medical Assistance if:
There is considerable pain and watering after the object has been removed.
Vision is blurry after the patch is removed, or there are other vision changes such as blind spots or seeing ‘stars’.
Clear or bloody fluid is coming from the eyeball.
You are concerned for any other reason.
Major Eye Injury
Bleeding from the eye.
Penetrating object in the eye.
Disturbance of vision.
Protrusion of eye contents.
Follow the DRSABCD emergency action plan.
Lay the casualty down with head and shoulders slightly raised.
Call 000 for an ambulance urgently.
If tolerated by the casualty, cover unaffected eye, as this will help to reduce eye movement. Be prepared to remove the cover if the casualty becomes anxious.
If there is an object penetrating the eye place padding around the object.
DO NOT attempt to remove any penetrating object.
DO NOT use eye drops.
DO NOT transport the casualty to hospital; await the arrival of the ambulance.
Reassure the casualty and monitor for shock.
Flash Burn
Pain that may be mild to severe, usually starting a few hours after the incident.
Bloodshot eyes.
Light sensitivity.
Watery eyes.
Blurred vision.
The feeling of having sand in your eye.
Apply a cool compress and cover both the eyes to stop with pads to stop any movement of either eye.
Seek urgent medical assistance.
