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Query: UMLS:C0022568 (keratitis)
 5,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Red eye is the cardinal sign of ocular inflammation. The condition is usually benign and can be managed by primary care physicians. Conjunctivitis is the most common cause of red eye. Other common causes include blepharitis, corneal abrasion, foreign body, subconjunctival hemorrhage, keratitis, iritis, glaucoma, chemical burn, and scleritis. Signs and symptoms of red eye include eye discharge, redness, pain, photophobia, itching, and visual changes. Generally, viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are self-limiting conditions, and serious complications are rare. Because there is no specific diagnostic test to differentiate viral from bacterial conjunctivitis, most cases are treated using broad-spectrum antibiotics. Allergies or irritants also may cause conjunctivitis. The cause of red eye can be diagnosed through a detailed patient history and careful eye examination, and treatment is based on the underlying etiology. Recognizing the need for emergent referral to an ophthalmologist is key in the primary care management of red eye. Referral is necessary when severe pain is not relieved with topical anesthetics; topical steroids are needed; or the patient has vision loss, copious purulent discharge, corneal involvement, traumatic eye injury, recent ocular surgery, distorted pupil, herpes infection, or recurrent infections.
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PMID:Diagnosis and management of red eye in primary care. 2223 Mar 1

Before any initiation of treatment for a red eye, an accurate differential diagnosis must absolutely be done, as considered in a previous article. Red eye can result from benign diseases, but also from serious pathologies which shouldn't be neglected, as they require a rapid ophtalmologist management. This is the case for keratitis, uveitis, acute glaucoma attack, or endophtalmitis. Treatment of red eye will just be symptomatic in benign diseases but, in contrast, will absolutely need an etiological diagnosis and therapeutic approach in more serious cases. Generally speaking, topical steroids should never be prescribed in doubt of infectious keratitis. Moreover, local anaesthetics, because of their toxicity for the cornea, should not be prescribed under any circumstances.
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PMID:[How I treat...a red eye]. 2456 24