The Patient with a Red Eye course for GPs

This session provides core information about the assessment, differential diagnosis and management of a patient presenting in primary care with an acutely red eye. It covers how to identify potentially serious cases that need urgent referral. This session was reviewed by Sally Higginbottom and last updated in September 2014.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Outline the common and serious causes of red eyes
• Describe a logical approach to assessing the patient with a red eye
• Distinguish between infective and allergic conjunctivitis, episcleritis and scleritis, iritis and uveitis and associated conditions
• State the importance of the acute management of corneal ulcer, particularly for contact lens wearers
• Describe self-limiting conditions and those that require referral or treatment

The red eye is a common presentation in the primary care setting, accounting for up to 5% of all consultations.