Ocular Emergencies in Children

This chapter covers general bedside and chairside examination procedures and instruments used to examine a pediatric patient in an acute care setting. Pediatric patients may present to an emergency room or present emergently in any clinical setting with a wide variety of acute ocular conditions. When working in an emergency room or hospital-based setting, it is unlikely that a clinician will have all of the exam equipment typically used for routine care. The authors review the various ocular imaging techniques used to obtain a view of the internal structures of the eye, orbit, head, and brain when external examination is not sufficient. The procedures described aid the clinician in appropriately and thoroughly evaluating pediatric patients presenting with ocular emergencies.