Pediatric Ocular Trauma: Recognition and Management

Points & Pearls Excerpt

• Visual acuity is the vital sign of the eye. In all cases of ocular trauma, perform a thorough test and document the results. (See Table 7.)
• While visual acuity screening becomes more reliable in children aged >6 years, it should be attempted in younger children.³⁵ See Table 5 for recommended screening tests.
• Visual acuity apps are available for smartphones. These apps can make the examination easier, especially for younger children.
• After ocular trauma, ask whether the patient wears contact lenses and remove contact lenses for patients who wear them.
• If the patient uses corrective lenses at baseline, have the patient wear them for the visual acuity screening. If the corrective lenses are unavailable, vision testing should be done using a pinhole.