General

No CPD Points

When a patient presents with an emergency or a condition that could threaten their sight or their life, urgent intervention by the optometrist may be required. Presented as a series of multimedia case files, Acute Presentation - Part One provides optometrists with instruction on managing patients presenting with acute onset symptoms in two key areas:

  • Sudden loss of vision
  • The painful red eye

Acute Presentation guides optometrists through the presentation of each condition, what to look for during examination, differential diagnosis, referral steps, further clinical management and any red flag symptoms requiring immediate referral.

See also: Acute Presentation - Part Two

    Learning objectives

    • 1.1.2 To develop a structured approach to following up significant patient symptoms and encourage use of a range of questions to elicit information from a patient complaining of a painful red eye or sudden loss of vision.
    • 2.6.2 To improve understanding of referral criteria and patient management in a variety of patient cases involving a sudden loss of vision or painful red eye.
    • 6.1.3 To improve understanding of the appropriate investigation of patients presenting with sudden loss of vision or painful red eye.
    • 6.1.5 To improve the recognition and differential diagnosis of conditions resulting in a sudden loss of vision and the appropriate management and referral.
    • 6.1.7 To improve the investigation, recognition and differential diagnosis of conditions resulting in a painful red eye and the appropriate management and referral.
    • 5.2.1 To improve the recognition and management of painful red eye complications resulting from the wear of soft contact lenses.
      Sudden loss of vision