Scratched Cornea
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Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

257 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
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I managed to put a nice scratch across my left cornea yesterday morning. What a pleasant sensation! Not sure how, just woke up feeling as if there was a bit of grit in my eye and it wouldn't go away. Tried washing the eye out to no avail and it was getting more & more painful.

Three hospitals and four hours later... another story.

I wasn't given much in the way of instructions as to what to do apart from three different types of eye drops (two antibiotic and one that relaxes the eye and dilates the pupil) and painkillers. From what I can gather I keep the eye closed as much as possible, keep the environment dark (basically not going anywhere as here in Dubai we have bright sunshine all the time) and just rest it for a few days but keep the eye drops going to prevent infection - one for a week, the other for ten days.

It's certainly less painful now but I can't focus with the eye, which I assume is because of the relaxant and the fact that the scratch is right across the middle.

Anything else I should take into consideration? I have to go back for a check up tomorrow afternoon.

I look mad with one big pupil and one small! Apparently it was a sign of madness...

Powerrr

1,978 posts

201 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
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Ive had this plenty of times.

Not a pleasant thing at all! After treatment you should be 95% back to normal after 48hrs. Just try and sleep as much as you can as your eye moves about less when your sleeping and your not blinking causing aggrivation.

Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

257 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
As I thought - many thanks.

K77 CTR

1,662 posts

211 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
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Over here we only give one lot of antibiotics, which is mainly used to keep the eye lubricated. Can't see why you need the pupil to be dilated.

Generally heals pretty quickly as the eye produces new cells. Bloody painful though when it happens.

Geoff Stilwell

679 posts

204 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
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you really ought to get it checked by the A&E..they can give you a mild steriod to aid healing as sometimes a scratch can lead to ulcerations of the cornea and that is not at all nice.

Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

257 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
I've been given;

Tobramycin drops - 5x a day for 10 days
Fusidic Acid drops - 4x a day for 7 days
Cyclopentolate drops - 3x a day for 3 days

Leptons

5,493 posts

205 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
You have my sympathys, I've had 2 of these both caused by my daughter poking me in the (same eye).

When I first visited the hospital they fitted a special contact lense which allowed the cornea to heal without causing any pain. 2 years on my vision is nearly 100% again.

DKL

4,958 posts

251 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
Lord knows why they have given cyclopentolate for a corneal abrasion. We they suspicious of anything else, like iritis?
Did you get any ocular lubricants - hypromellose, lacrilube?
It should recover fine, hopefully without a scar.

dudleybloke

20,553 posts

215 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
iv normaly been given chloramphenicol for eye scratches. they hurt for a couple of days but heal fast.

Edited by dudleybloke on Tuesday 5th March 20:17

Camaro

1,432 posts

204 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
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Had this a few times, the worst was a bit of metal from a grinder. Thought I'd got it out with optrex at work and thought nothing more of it. Woke up the next day and couldn't stand looking at anything bright, made it about half way through the day before not being able to take anymore, first aider checked my eye and saw a brown mark. Up to A&E, removed the lump of metal, gave me some antibitotic cream and patched my eye up. Then went back a few days later to have the 'rust' removed, again, cream and patched. For the record to remove the rust they had to scrape it off with a needle sort of thing. Positively the worst thing I've had done to me consciously.

dudleybloke

20,553 posts

215 months

Tuesday 5th March 2013
quotequote all
the needle eye scraping isnt good.
with one of mine they had to use a very small dremmel type rotary tool to get to the metal as it had healed over then got it out using a needle.
it bloody hurt!

hollydog

1,108 posts

221 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
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Surprised i am not blind. bought the stepson a scooter for his 16th. The bike was a bit slow so i thought the exhaust was blocked. So off it came and cleaned it out with caustic soda. Stuck a spud in one end put the soda in the other with hot water. Then a big bag as it blow up in my face. caustic soda in the eye balls. Was blind for about 3 days. Had 2 days of constant sterile water being dripped into me eyes. Lucky lad still got 20 20 .

Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

257 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
DKL said:
Lord knows why they have given cyclopentolate for a corneal abrasion. We they suspicious of anything else, like iritis?
Did you get any ocular lubricants - hypromellose, lacrilube?
It should recover fine, hopefully without a scar.
That's what I was given with no explanation or other instructions. I assumed I had to rest the eye. I'm assuming its all blurry thanks to the relaxant etc...

Just about to go for the check up.

Asterix

Original Poster:

24,438 posts

257 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
All clear - phew.

Been told to stop the Fusidic Acid & Cyclopentolate. The former just gums the eye up and the other antibiotic is plenty, and the latter isn't needed anymore and I should be able to focus again with the pupil acting normally in about 8 hours - should be fine in the morning.

Amazing how we take our sight for granted - never had any issues with it before.

Pupp

12,941 posts

301 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
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Maybe worth opening your eye a bit gingerly on waking for a few days if you remember... I've had a couple of corneal injuries and have experienced the wound/scar being aggravated by my eyelid sticking to it overnight despite thinking it had healed

Can certainly vouch for the digging for debris dance being particularly unpleasant when viewed from the chair with the big light! smile

Brother D

4,419 posts

205 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
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hollydog said:
Surprised i am not blind. bought the stepson a scooter for his 16th. The bike was a bit slow so i thought the exhaust was blocked. So off it came and cleaned it out with caustic soda. Stuck a spud in one end put the soda in the other with hot water. Then a big bag as it blow up in my face. caustic soda in the eye balls. Was blind for about 3 days. Had 2 days of constant sterile water being dripped into me eyes. Lucky lad still got 20 20 .
How in the name of all that is holy did that ever seem like a good idea!!!

Rids64

172 posts

168 months

Wednesday 6th March 2013
quotequote all
dudleybloke said:
the needle eye scraping isnt good.
with one of mine they had to use a very small dremmel type rotary tool to get to the metal as it had healed over then got it out using a needle.
it bloody hurt!
Pah! that's nothing - I have had to have cornea grafts in both eyes, a couple of days after the second op I went back for a check up and they discovered a small leak where the new graft was not sealing properly onto the eye. The solution was to put an extra stitch in to tighten it up with just some anaesthetic drops in the eye to help. Being told to keep still while they basically used a needle and thread to stitch the front of my eyeball back on was a pretty unique experience...