Eye injuries

Most common eye injuries   1.    Corneal abrasions, or scratched eye (glancing foreign body.) 2.    Foreign object penetration, such as small metal, stone or or wood fragments sub tarsal/ corneal foreign body/ intra-ocular foreign body/ lens dislocation/retinal tear 3.    Chemical burns and other caustic substances in the eye such as acids or alkalis, H2S mists, vanadium pentoxide ( a catalyst that causes irritation to all mucosal surfaces) 4.    Black eyes /orbital fractures either from blunt instrument or assault 5.    Photokeratitis, also known as eye sunburn or snow blindness, arc eye or welders flash or laser 6.    Conjunctivitis: allergic or contagion: virus or bacteria 7.    Traumatic or non-traumatic iritis 8.    Subconjunctival haemorrhage (can be spontaneous too)   Occupational eye injuries from lasers are rare       Industries at risk   Military e.g. foreign objects,photokeratosis, dusts   Agriculture  e.g chemicals, foreign objects, allergic conjunctivitis from pollen, spores or plant dusts   Metalworking e.g grinding or drilling   Construction e.g. flying foreign objects, cement, high pressure water cleaning, arc welding   Woodworking e.g foreign objects thrown off by sawing and dusts   Catering e.g illegal use of UV-C lamps   Vets and animal labs :  allergic conjunctivitis from animal fur   Prevention Training Machinery guards, interlocks to prevent ejected foreign objects Dust suppression (water or oil capture of dusts / extraction by fan / barriers   PPE: safety glasses or goggles,   Eye-wash stations are present in high-risk work areas (ie hazardous substances used 'Arc eye' or 'Welder's Flash Usually presents with pain within the eye, photophobia, bloodshot membranes and watering and a sensation of 'grittiness' Occupational Cataracts Causes    Trauma due to penetrating eye injury   Non-ionising readiation :  UV-B, Lasers (NB including medical lasers)   Chronic) exposure to TNT, potassium isocyanate, naphthlene, bendiocarb (a pesticide), ethylene oxide, dinitrophenols, ammonium hydroxide, methyl isocyanate and osmium tetraoxide. Industries at risk Explosives Metal foundries Arc welding   Glass blowing  Printing with use of HIDL.   Prevention   Training, PPE: goggles.

Clinical diagnosis : slit lamp, evert eyelids to identify possible foreign body, , fluorescein under blue light, fundoscopy  visual acuity: near and distance   Chemical exposures: irrigate eye thoroughly using a bag of normal saline or sterile water.