Written by: Justine Ko, MD (NUEM PGY-1) Edited by: Hashim Zaidi, MD (NUEM PGY-3) Expert commentary by: Rehan Hussain, MD
Expert Commentary
Hi Drs. Ko & Zaidi,
Thank you for this great review on emergency management of open globe injuries. The presentation of open globe injuries can vary widely depending on the mechanism of injury, and so can the final visual outcome. For obvious ruptured globes with peaked pupils or extruding intraocular contents, I am glad you emphasized that it is best to avoid any manipulation of the eye to prevent further extrusion of contents or increase the risk of infection. Cover the eye with a shield, start topical and systemic antibiotics, and consult ophthalmology so they can arrange surgery in a timely manner. The patient must be kept NPO to avoid delaying surgery unnecessarily. Definitely don’t check the eye pressure if you already know it is a ruptured globe.
For the less obvious ruptured globes, which may sometimes mimic a corneal or conjunctival abrasion, it is imperative to perform a Seidel test carefully. This involves placing a wet fluorescein strip (not the pre-made drop) over the suspected entry site, looking at it under the cobalt blue light of the slit lamp, and checking to see if a stream of aqueous fluid is coming out of the injury site (it can be either quick or a slow stream). Fluorescein staining in absence of a stream of fluid indicates that only an abrasion is present. When in doubt, consult ophthalmology for confirmation. Other slit lamp findings that may be present include subconjunctival hemorrhage, chemosis, corneal abrasion, hyphema, flat anterior chamber, iris defects, foreign body in the anterior chamber, or traumatic cataract.
For imaging workup, CT of the ORBITS is preferable, as it allows for 1 mm sections that increase the likelihood of detecting small intraocular foreign bodies (IOFB) that might be missed with a standard head CT. MRI should be avoided as it is slow, costly, and can cause movement of metallic IOFBs, causing further damage to the eye. Gentle ultrasound over the closed eyelids could be used in absence of availability of CT, but I prefer to avoid it since puts pressure on the eye.
The patient and family members are often times distraught over the injury, and appropriate counseling is an essential part of the encounter. They frequently ask if they will be permanently blind. I avoid making any predictions on the final visual outcome, as it is difficult to predict and can lead to either unmet expectations or unnecessary anxiety. I say that the goal is to save the eye at this time, and we will follow closely to see how the vision turns out. Sometimes patients do very well if the extent of injury is not severe, but on other occasions patients require multiple surgeries to correct associated retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, or lens dislocation. If appropriate antibiotic therapy is not initiated, there is an increased risk of developing endophthalmitis, which portends a poor visual prognosis.
Rehan Hussain, MD
Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellow, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Univeristy of Miami
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How to cite this post
[Peer-Reviewed, Web Publication] Ko J, Zaidi H (2018, Feb 26). Open Globe Injury. [NUEM Blog. Expert Commentary By Hussain R]. Retrieved from http://www.nuemblog.com/blog/globe-rupture.
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