Primary care of ocular emergencies

Abstract

The primary care physician often must shoulder the heavy medical (and often legal) responsibility for diagnosis of ocular emergencies and for definitive or interim therapy. Proper and timely simple diagnostic procedures followed by appropriate therapy may mean the difference between permanent loss of sight or recovery of useful vision. Laceration contusions, and foreign-body injuries are discussed here. Part 2, beginning on page 157 considers thermal, chemical, and nontraumatic injuries.