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. Acute Presentation - Part Two provides optometrists with instruction on managing patients presenting with acute onset symptoms in two key areas:

  • Neurological causes
  • Other causes e.g. papilloedema, giant cell arteritis, retinal detachments and blunt trauma

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 One

    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 sudden onset of symptoms.
    • 2.6.2 To improve understanding of referral criteria and patient management in a variety of patient cases presenting with sudden onset symptoms.
    • 6.1.5 To improve the investigation, recognition and differential diagnosis of various acute conditions and the appropriate management and referral.
    • 6.1.14 To improve the investigation, recognition and differential diagnosis of neurological conditions and the appropriate management and referral.
    • 6.1.12 To improve the investigation, recognition and differential diagnosis of various types of retinal detachments and the appropriate management and referral.
      Neurological problems