First aid guide for school emergencies this flipchart is a quick reference guide for administering emergency care to an injured or ill individual. Some foreign objects can be rinsed out, but others may cut or penetrate the eye and require medical help quickly. Thanks for joining the emergency care teamyou can make a di. Eye injuries eye injuries can range from minor irritations to severe and sight threatening. Up to 40% of penetrating eye injuries are complicated by the presence of an intraocular foreign body iofb. Listed below is information about first aid treatment in the event of an eye injury. Apr 02, 2019 till you reach the doctor, you can follow the below first aid tips.
Do not put pressure on the injured eye while holding the covering. Pour the fluid from the mnose end of the eye toward the outer corner to avoid accidentally flushing the uninjured eye. The most common eye accident calling for first aid is something in the eye, such as a particle of dust, wood, glass, metal, concrete or any other hard substance. Mar 12, 2019 injuries to the eye can be very distressing for the casualty, so as a first aider, your aim is to prevent the situation from getting any worse. Feb 25, 2019 the person has something in the eye or under the eyelid that tears and blinking cant remove. Most are found in the conjunctival sac or on the cornea. First aid for eye injuries first aid blog skillbase. Only with the eyes, and particularly the mucous membrane, damage can occur very quickly. There are several kinds of eye injuries, such as a black eye, a foreign object caught in the eye and a chemical splash in the eye.
Cover the injured eye with a clean, circular object, which will help avoid rubbing the eye inadvertently. First aid for an eye injury immediately following an accident can prevent loss of sight. If the object has possibly penetrated the eye, dont try to remove it. You may try to remove the particle if it is not embedded in the eye. The eye should be examined thoroughly by your eye doctor because visionthreatening damage could be hidden. Place eye pad or light clean dressing over the injured eye only. The aim of this practical procedure is to understand the first aid treatment of eye injuries. Read about common causes, prevention, first aid, and other treatments.
First aid when you have something in your eye accidents happen and when they do, it is important to know how to handle them. The amount of pain you feel isnt always related to how serious the burn is. Alkaline materials lye, plasters, cements, and ammonia, solvents, acids, and detergents can be harmful to the eye. Jan 10, 2008 prompt first aid treatment can be helpful. Never apply pressure on the injured eye while doing it. The most important thing to remember is that basic first aid is used to stabilize the eye prior to going to the hospital. If you can see something in your cats eye, wrap your kitty in a towel and wash the eye out with saline. Chemical particles, vapor and radiant energy are other causes of eye injuries. Use a clean jug filled with water and pour a stream of fluid across the injured eye and into a bowl or handbasin. Eye injuries can cause eye strain, or be serious enough to damage your vision. Injuries to the eye can be very distressing for the casualty, so as a first aider, your aim is to prevent the situation from getting any worse. Prevention and treatment of common eye injuries in sports. A ball to the face, a fall on the ice, and so many more. Others, like those that happen during sports activities or from a fall, can be.
Do stock a first aid kit with a rigid eye shield and commercial eyewash make sure it is not expired before engaging in. First aid treatment for eye injuries eye scratches. Do stock a first aid kit with a rigid eye shield and commercial eyewash make sure it is not expired before engaging in activities where an eye injury could occur. Pdf assessing and managing eye injuries researchgate. Consider the following first aid tips for eye injuries. If a foreign body scratches or scars the eye surface, the patient may lose some or all vision in the injured eye. The most common eye accident calling for first aid is something in. If you experience pain, impaired vision, or any possibility of eye damage, call your eye doctor or go the emergency room immediately. Be prepared wear eye protection for all hazardous activities and sports at school, home and on the job that could lead to an eye injury.
First aid treatment flood the eye with water immediately, using your fingers to keep the eye open wide. Take overthecounter acetaminophen tylenol or ibuprofen advil, motrin for pain. You will need to offer reassurance to the casualty and to keep them calm whilst they are distressed. If the injury does not involve the eyeball, apply a sterile compress and hold it in place with a firm bandage. Open in a separate window a penetrating eye injury with iris prolapse. And each time, there was at least some minor head trauma.
Any of these conditions or situations can lead to permanent loss of vision. You should never attempt to remove foreign objects from an eye or perform any other treatment beyond basic first aid. Remove old pages insert new pages page ii page ii pages 51 and 52 pages 51 through 53. When an eye injury does occur, have an ophthalmologist eye physician and surgeon, or other medical doctor examine the eye as soon as possible.
A foreign body in the eye, such as a speck of dust, grit or an eyelash can be extremely irritating. Place the effected eye under a shower or tap, or gently pour water into the eye from a container for a minimum of fifteen minutes. It contains practical, stepbystep instructions that describe what to do when caring for an injured or ill person. I hope that you will enjoy learning how to help those in need of emergency care and that you will gain con. Eye injuries can cause loss of vision, or complete loss of an eye. Many people have scratched their eye at some point, or had their eye scratched by a pet. Injuries are frequently caused by objects in the eye, burns, and blunt force injuries. If there is bruising, bleeding, change in vision, or it hurts when your eye moves, see a doctor right away. Even a minor eye injury can cause serious, lifelong eye damage. Open eyelid gently and wash eye with cold flowing water for.
Recognizing and treating eye injuries american academy of. How to treat an eye injury first aid training st john ambulance duration. First aid is a lesson that will teach you about the appropriate responses to these types of injuries. First aid is only the first step for emergency treatment. Pdf readers are standard software on most computers and devices. There are several kinds of eye injuries, such as a black eye, a foreign object caught in the eye and a chemical splash in the eye black eye. The person has something in the eye or under the eyelid that tears and blinking cant remove.
This section will mirror the last lesson on the importance of, and strategies for, diluting chemical burns. First aid for eye injuries to ensure that your eyes remain healthy, it is essential to protect them from injury and to take proper care measures if an injury has occurred. Or tilt the head back and irrigate the surface of the eye with clean water from a drinking glass or a gentle stream of tap water. If any of these injuries or ailments happen to your kid, follow this advice from geoffrey bradford, m. First wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Penetrating injuries require immediate first aid and urgent referral to a specialist, particularly if there is a foreign body in the eye. Apr 08, 2016 musculoskeletal injuries sprains and strains duration. First aid for eye injuries stonetrust insurance company. There are two types of chemical eye injuries dry or wet. This course covers first aid for eye injuries from chemicals, cuts and scratches, and for objects embedded in the eye, and provides general procedures for using safety showers and safety eyewashes. Assessing and managing eye injuries pubmed central pmc. Most eye injuries are minor, like getting soap in the eye or a speck of dirt under the eyelid. Jan 06, 2012 eye injuries can be terrifying for the injured person and anyone that has to give basic first aid care.
Cleaning, flushing or soaking wounds on the surface of the skin. Hyphema is when there is bleeding inside the eye blood in the front chamber of the eye or the cornea. First aid for eye injuries st john ambulance australia. A scald is caused by something wet, such as hot water or steam. The following instructions will help you administer first aid to a patient with an eye injury. Many people have scratched their eye at some point, or had their eye scratched by a pet, baby or home improvement project. A black eye or blurred vision can be a sign of damage inside the eye. If the object is floating in the tear film on the surface of the eye, try using a medicine dropper filled with clean, warm water to flush it out. Below are a few situations you may encounter involving your dogs eyes and what you can do to render first aid until you can get to a veterinarian. Apply a cold compress, but dont put pressure on the eye. If you have an object in your eye, do not rub your eye. Prevention of eye injuries eye injuries can be prevented by. Get medical help while you are doing this, or after 15 to 20 minutes of continuous.
As july is eye injury prevention month, here are a number of practical first aid tips to remember if you or anyone you know suffers an eye injury. A burn is caused by dry heat by an iron or fire, for example. Using wound coverings such as bandages, bandaids, gauze pads, etc or using butterfly bandages or steristrips inoculations such as gamma globulin, rabies, etc. First aid for eye injuries first aid blog skillbase first aid. Immediately apply an ice compress to the eye to reduce pain and swelling. Here weve put together a quick reference guide for dealing with the most common eye injuries. Use whatever is closest water fountain, shower, garden hose. Recognizing and treating eye injuries american academy. Prevention of blindness from eye injuries requires.
The sports that most commonly cause eye injuries, in order of decreasing. Read about how to give first aid treatment to eye injuries. The aim of this practical procedure is to understand the firstaid treatment of eye injuries. First aid quick reference eye injuries treatment orbital blowout fractures. Prompt medical attention for eye problems can save your vision and prevent further complications. If there is a hit or a blow to the eye, follow the following first aid to treat it. The eye can be injured by a chemical, foreign object, or direct blow. First try lifting your upper lid down over your lower lid allowing the lashes to brush the speck from the inside of the upper lid. I cant tell you how many times ive gotten a black eye.
An object such as a piece of glass or metal is sticking out of the eye. Musculoskeletal injuries sprains and strains duration. First aid care for eye injuries any kind of injury or trauma to the eyes should be taken seriously. First aid for eye injury caused by a blow to the eye. Eye injuries caused by something getting into the eye can vary in severity. Wash out the eye gently with water or normal saline, from the corner closest to the nose outwards. The eye is a delicate structure that is easily damaged by a small foreign body. Do not attempt to wash the eye or remove anything which is stuck in the eye. Injuries involving the eye wounds that involve the eyelids or the soft tissue around the eye must be handled carefully to avoid further damage. Below are some common eye conditions and injuries that happen to cats and the first aid you may wish to perform on your way to the veterinarian. First aid part 3 first aid treatment of eye injuries. Pain, redness, bleeding, tearing, sensitivity to light, swelling, and discoloration of area around eye. Weve put together a separate page all about first aid for eye scratches. This publication is meant to be used by trainers and individuals being trained based on common first aid tasks.
The eye often cleans itself of debris with tearing, so no treatment is needed until you are certain the eye cannot remove the object by itself. First aid for eye injuries the most common type of eye injury that needs immediate action is a chemical burn. When dealing with an eye injury it is important to bandage both eyes to keep the injured eye from moving. In addition, however, workers should know how to provide first aid for eye injuries suffered at work. Burns and scalds are damage to the skin caused by heat.