Trauma News

Rubber bullets and tear gas may sound innocuous and offer a false sense of security. In reality, these nonlethal weapons can cause permanent eye damage, eye injury, discomfort, pain, loss of vision and blindness.

In this Healio video, while wearing her practice-mandated surgical mask, Cynthia A. Matossian, MD, interviews Ashley Brissette, MD, MSc, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, about her current experience to date being “deployed” to work in the emergency room to help triage and treat incoming patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All ophthalmologists have seen a hyphema: blood in the anterior chamber, often after significant ocular trauma. In many cases, this blood is just a small amount, and it resolves over the course of days to weeks as aqueous in the anterior chamber turns over. In some situations, however, the hyphema can be so severe that it nearly completely fills the anterior chamber and creates a large clot that does not clear without surgical intervention.

A 3-month-old full-term female infant presented to the University of New Mexico Hospital with decreased oral intake, reduced wet diapers and possible seizure activity.

Neuro-ophthalmologic function is affected by subconcussive head impacts which may affect individuals participating in contact sports, according to a randomized clinical trial.

A 7-month-old boy was brought by his mother to the New England Eye Center for evaluation of persistent left eye redness and left upper eyelid bruising. The mother noticed these findings 6 to 8 weeks earlier after the patient was hit by a stuffed toy on the left side of his face. There was no other history of trauma. The patient’s mother became concerned when the redness did not improve and presented to the pediatric ophthalmology clinic for evaluation.

On the court and in the field of play, the risk for sports-related eye injuries is prevalent. Knowing how to properly treat the injuries as well as wearing the proper gear may not only reduce the severity of the injury, but also may prevent eye injury.

SAN FRANCISCO — Orbital fracture associated with gunshot injury in children younger than 18 years was associated with poor visual outcomes, according to a poster presented at the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery meeting.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology reported there were 13,000 injuries related to personal fireworks use in 2017, and 14% of those were eye injuries.

As the Fourth of July is synonymous with fireworks, Prevent Blindness suggests that Americans attend only authorized firework displays because there is a potential for traumatic eye injuries.