Spanish 
Chinese 
Russian 
German 
French 
Japanese 
Portuguese 
Hindi Review Article
Get Out of a Scrape! An Approach to Corneal Foreign Bodies and Abrasions for the Primary Care Physician
Victoria Squissato1, Glenn Brown2,3* and Stephanie Baxter41Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
2Department of Family Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
3Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Queen’s University Kingston, Ontario, Canada
4Department of Ophthalmology, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- *Corresponding Author:
- Glenn Brown
Queen’s University
Department of Family Medicine 220 Bagot Street
Kingston, ON K7L 5E9
Canada
Tel: (613)533-9300 extn. 73959
E-mail: glenn.brown@dfm.queensu.ca
Received date: January 25, 2015; Accepted date: June 06, 2015; Published date: June 12, 2015
Citation: Squissato V, Brown G, Baxter S (2015) Get out of a Scrape! An Approach to Corneal Foreign Bodies and Abrasions for the Primary Care Physician. Occup Med Health Aff 3:202. doi: 10.4172/2329-6879.1000202
Copyright: © 2015 Victoria S, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Work-related injuries (WREIs) to the eye are common. Many are minor but, if not treated quickly, can lead to vision-threatening complications. Others are severe, but even with expert management sight can be lost. This article promotes an understanding of the physician’s role in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of WREIs. By far the most common WREIs are corneal foreign bodies (CFBs) and abrasions, which this article primarily focuses on. Foreign bodies (FBs) visualized under slit lamp microscopy can be removed with a moistened cotton tip or bent 25-gauge needle followed by antibiotic and tetanus prophylaxis. Pain associated with corneal abrasions can interfere with daily functions including return to work. Adequate pain relief may be achieved using oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. Patching is not recommended because it does not improve comfort and may impair healing. Non-complicated CFBs need only to be seen once by an ophthalmologist 4-6 days after the initial presentation.
