Red eye red flags

Asking three questions about red eye identifies the patients that can be treated by an optometrist and the ones that need to be referred. 

Consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Private Eye Hospital, Dr Laura de Benito-Llopis, told OT about the red flags associated with red eye.

Dr de Benito-Llopis shared that she always asks three things when patients present with red eye – ‘Is it painful?’ ‘Do you have discharge?’ and ‘Do you have loss of vision?’

“If it is something that needs to be seen urgently, Moorfields A&E is open 24/7 so the best thing to do is give a letter to the patient, which has the examination the optometrist found, and advise them to go to Moorfields A&E,” she said.