Traumatic injuries: office treatment of eye injury. 1. Injury due to foreign materials.

Patients with eye injuries caused by foreign materials are often seen by the primary physician. The causative agents may be foreign objects, noxious liquids or vapors, ultraviolet irradiation, or contact lenses. Injuries caused by foreign bodies that do not penetrate the outer coats of the eye can be treated by the nonspecialist; the intraocular presence of an object requires prompt referral to an ophthalmologist. Ultraviolet light irradiation and contact lenses worn for a prolonged period cause a great deal of pain to the eye but injury is not serious and the eye heals well. Injury from chemicals may be moderate or severe; if pain and functional impairment persist after copious irrigation of the eye with sterile saline solution, the patient should be referred to an ophthalmologist.