ABSTRACT
Ophthalmic emergencies may be grouped into traumatic or non-traumatic, and subdivided according to whether the eyelids are affected, or if the eye is red, painful or has diminished visual acuity.
VISUAL ACUITY
Always record visual acuity, with distance glasses if they are worn, at the start of every eye examination before any drops or dyes have been introduced. • Acuity is measured by reading a Snellen chart at a distance of 6 m. • Each eye is tested separately, and the lowest line that can be read accurately is
recorded. Normal vision is 6/6. Ask patients with refractive errors who have left their glasses at home to look through a pinhole to optimize their visual acuity.
