First Aid Treatment For Eye Injuries, Cuts, Penetrations & Blows

Important Information
• All eye injuries are potentially serious due to the risk of the patient's vision
• Treat eye injuries that result from trauma in the head or face as medical emergencies; Follow primary & secondary care procedures
• Never apply pressure to the eye and be careful not to rub it
• If the patient wears contact lenses, remove them only if doing so will not cause further damage to the eye
• Encourage patients with any eye soreness or irritation to see an eye specialist for treatment asap; Provide secondary care
• Encourage the patient to keep clam; Increased activity and blood pressure can cause important eye fluids to leak which may cause further harm to the eye
• Do not touch or try to remove an object embedded in the eye; Do not touch anything that is sticking to the coloured part of the eye

Patient Care for Cuts and Penetrations to the Eye
STOP - Assess and observe the scene;
THINK - Consider your safety and form action plan
ACT - Check responsiveness and Alert EMS
Perform a primary assessment and monitor the patient's Cycle of Care - AB-CABS
Apply a sterile dressing and lightly bandage the eye
If a penetrating object protrudes from the eye, place a small paper cup over the eye and bandage it in place; Do NOT remove the object
Consider covering both eyes to deter the patient from moving the injured eye
Continue to monitor the patient's Cycle of Care until EMS arrives

Patient Care for a Blow to the Eye
STOP - Assess and observe the scene;
THINK - Consider your safety and form action plan
ACT - Check responsiveness and Alert EMS
Perform a primary assessment and monitor the patient's Cycle of Care - AB-CABS
Apply cold compresses for 15 minutes
If EMS is not called, encourage the patient to see an eye specialist as soon as possible

Patient Care for Chemical Splashes in the Eye
STOP - Assess and observe the scene;
THINK - Consider your safety and form action plan
ACT - Check responsiveness and Alert EMS
Perform a primary assessment and monitor the patient's Cycle of Care - AB-CABS
Immediately flush the eye with water using a first aid eye wash if you have one and until the EMS arrives or for a minimum of 15 minutes
Open the eye as wide as possible and ask the patient to roll the eye to aid flushing
Be careful that the rinsing water does not splash into the uninjured eye or yourself; Ask the patient to hold a sterile, non fluffy dressing over the eye; Lightly bandage the dressing in place if EMS will be delayed or the patient will be sent to hospital; Identify the chemical if possible

Patient Care for Irritants in the Eye
Wear gloves to protect yourself and the patient from disease transmission
Inspect the eye and attempt to locate the irritant
Either you or the patient should lift the upper eye lid and gently pull it down over the lower eye lashes
Encourage the patient to blink and let tears wash irritants away
If irritants remain, flush the eye with a gentle stream of water using a first aid eye wash and/or carefully attempt to dislodge it with a sterile moistened cloth
If the irritant remains, have the patient seek treatment from an eye specialist

Patient Care for a Dislodged Tooth
Important Information
• Treat dental injuries resulting from trauma to the head, neck, face or mouth as medical emergencies; Follow primary and secondary care procedures
• Send the patient to a dentist for treatment when dental injuries are due to wear and tear or minor mishaps; Provide secondary care

Wear gloves to protect yourself and the patient from disease transmission
Locate the dislodged tooth but do not touch the root
Hold the tooth by the crown and rinse gently with a saline solution, milk or water
Keep the tooth moist in the solution while transporting to a dentist
If you're unable to get to a dentist within one hour, re-implant the tooth into the socket as soon as possible; Teeth re-implanted within 30 to 60 minutes have a good chance of reattaching to the socket
Encourage the patient to follow up with continued dental care

First Aid Advice & Information for Eye, Facial and Dental Injuries is for guidance only - Click Here to get CPR & First Aid Trained