International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery
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Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg · Jun 2008
ReviewAdvanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) and facial trauma: can one size fit all? Part 4: 'can the patient see?' Timely diagnosis, dilemmas and pitfalls in the multiply injured, poorly responsive/unresponsive patient.
Assessment of the eyes and visual pathways in the multiply injured patient with co-existing craniofacial injuries can be very difficult. Although ocular injury is common in facial trauma, vision-threatening injuries and severe visual impairment are less frequently seen and may be associated with specific injury patterns. Some vision-threatening injuries require early diagnosis and treatment if useful sight is to be preserved, but at the same time this must not interfere with any ongoing investigations and resuscitation. ⋯ More detailed ophthalmic examination can be performed later, when the patient is in a better condition. The management of the severely proptosed eye in the multiply injured unconscious patient is also a very difficult area, particularly if the precise cause is unknown. A number of causes exist and these may require different therapeutic strategies, which are discussed.