Eye signs in anaesthesia and intensive care

This article describes the signs associated with iatrogenic injury to the eye in the operating theatre and the intensive care unit. Patients are at risk of corneal abrasions, exposure keratopathy and chemosis. The prone patient encounters an additional risk of ischaemic optic neuropathy and acute glaucoma. In the intensive care setting, the intensivist should be alert to signs of ocular infection, for example, conjunctivitis, microbial keratitis and endophthalmitis. In the trauma patient, careful evaluation of the eye is required to rule out sight-threatening conditions such as retrobulbar haemorrhage, globe rupture, orbital fractures and retinal detachment.
Source: Anaesthesia and intensive care medicine - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research