Nationwide Emergency Medical Services Guidelines for Care of Ocular Emergencies

Abstract

Approximately 2.0 to 2.4 million eye-related emergency department (ED) visits are conducted annually in the United States, of which an estimated 41% are categorized as emergent.1,2 Ocular injuries contribute significantly to patient morbidity and are associated with reductions in both visual function and quality of life.3,4 An estimated 27% of serious ocular injuries in the United States, defined as trauma causing permanent and significant structural or functional change, result in legal blindness, defined as a visual acuity of worse than 20/200.