iEM Image Feed: Penetrating eye injury

iem image feed

A 42 years old male, presents to the ED 1 hour after he was hammering a nail onto a wooden shelf, where the nail flew and strike his left open eye. In an attempt to help, his friend immediately removed the nail.

After that, he has been having severe sharp pain and blurry vision in his left eye.

On examination, the left eye had poor visual acuity, and he could only perceive light and movement. The pupil was fixed, dilated and non-reactive to light. Right eye examination was normal.

819.2 - eye penetran trauma 2 -siedel sign

Further reading

Cite this article as: iEM Education Project Team, "iEM Image Feed: Penetrating eye injury," in International Emergency Medicine Education Project, April 28, 2021, https://iem-student.org/2021/04/28/iem-image-feed-penetrating-eye-injury/, date accessed: December 5, 2023

Dermatological emergencies : Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

stevens johnson syndrome

Every medical student has three categories of topic division

Category 3 catches you by surprise when it makes it an entry in the ED and serves as a reminder of why it is essential always to know something about everything. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome was one of those for me. Although rare, dermatological emergencies are essential to spot and can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome is a rare type 4 hypersensitivity reaction which affects <10% of body surface area. It is described as a sheet-like skin loss and ulceration (separation of the epidermis from the dermis).

Toxic epidermal necrosis and Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome can be mixed. However, distinguishing between both disease can be done by looking at % of body surface area involvement.

  • < 10% BSA = Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome
  • 10-30% BSA = Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome/Toxic epidermal necrosis overlap syndrome
  • > 30%= Toxic epidermal necrosis – above image is an example of toxic epidermal necrosis.

Pathophysiology is unknown

Pathophysiology is not clearly known; however, some studies show it is due to T cells’ cytotoxic mechanism and altered drug metabolism.

Causes

The most common cause of Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome is medications. Examples are allopurinol, anticonvulsants, sulfonamide, antiviral drugs, NSAIDs, salicylates, sertraline and imidazole.

As one of the commonest cause is drug-induced, it is a vital part of history taking. Ask direct and indirect questions regarding drug intake, any new (started within 8 weeks) or old medications and previous reactions if any.

Other causes are malignancy and infections (Mycoplasma pneumonia, Cytomegalovirus infections, Herpesvirus, Hep A).

Risk Factors

The disease is more common in women and immunocompromised patients (HIV, SLE)

Clinical Presentations

  • Flu-like symptoms(1-14 symptoms)
  • Painful rash which starts on the trunk and spreads to the face and extremities.
  • Irritation in eyes
  • Mouth ulcers or soreness

Clinical Exam Findings

  • Skin manifestation – Starts as a Macular rash that turns into blisters and desquamation.
  • An important sign in SJS is Nikolsky’s sign: It is considered positive if rubbing the skin gently causes desquamation.
  • 2 types of mucosa are involved in SJS – oral and conjunctiva, which precede skin lesions.
  • Other findings in the examination may include –
  • Oral cavity – ulcers, erythema and blisters
  • Cornea – ulceration

Diseases with a similar presentation – in children, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome can be suspected as it has a similar presentation and can be differentiated with the help of a skin biopsy.

Diagnosis

Clinical awareness and suspicion is the cornerstone step for diagnosis. Skin Biopsy shows subepidermal bullae, epidermal necrosis, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration, which help for definitive diagnosis.

Management

Adequate fluid resuscitation, pain management and monitoring of electrolytes and vital signs, basic supportive or resuscitative actions are essential, as with any emergency management.

The next step is admitting the patient to the burn-unit or ICU, arranging an urgent referral to dermatology and stopping any offending medications. If any eye symptoms are present, an ophthalmology referral is required.

Wound management is essential- debridement, ointments, topical antibiotics are commonly used to prevent bacterial infections and ease the symptoms.

Complications

  • Liver, renal and cardiac failure
  • Dehydration
  • Hypovolemic or septic shock
  • Superimposed infection
  • Sepsis
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation
  • Thromboembolism
  • Can lead to death if left untreated

Prognosis

Prognosis of a patient with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome is assesed by the SCORTEN Mortality Assesment Tool. Each item equal to one point and it is used within the 24 hours of admission.

• Age >/= 40 years (OR 2.7)
• Heart Rate >/= 120 beats per minute (OR 2.7)
• Cancer/Hematologic malignancy (OR 4.4)
• Body surface area on day 1; >10% (OR2.9)
• Serum urea level (BUN) >28mg/dL (>10mmol/L) (OR 2.5)
• Serum bicarbonate <20mmol/L (OR 4.3)
• Serum glucose > 252mg/dL (>14mmol/L) (OR5.3)

Predicted mortality based on the above total:

  • 0-1 Point = 3.2%
  • 2 Points = 12.1%
  • 3 Points = 35.3%
  • 4 Points = 58.3%
  • 5 Points = 90.0%

References and Further Reading

Cite this article as: Sumaiya Hafiz, UAE, "Dermatological emergencies : Stevens-Johnson Syndrome," in International Emergency Medicine Education Project, February 15, 2021, https://iem-student.org/2021/02/15/stevens-johnson-syndrome/, date accessed: December 5, 2023

Recent Blog Posts by Sumaiya Hafiz

Siedel Test

A 42 years old male, presents to the ED 1 hour after he was hammering a nail onto a wooden shelf, where the nail flew and strike his left open eye. In an attempt to help, his friend immediately removed the nail. After that, he has been having severe sharp pain and blurry vision in his left eye. On examination, the left eye had poor visual acuity, and he could only perceive light and movement. The pupil was fixed, dilated and non-reactive to light. Right eye examination was normal.

819.2 - eye penetran trauma 2 -siedel sign
819.1 - eye penetran trauma 1

How would you approach to this patient?

To learn more about it, read chapters below.

Read "Eye Trauma" Chapter

Read "Red Eye" Chapter

Quick Read

Globe rupture

It is an ophthalmologic emergency, consisting of a full-thickness injury in the cornea or sclera caused by penetrating or blunt trauma. Anterior rupture is usually observed, as this is the region where the sclera is the thinnest. Posterior rupture is rare and difficult to diagnose. It can be diagnosed through indirect findings such as contraction in the anterior chamber and decrease in intraocular pressure (IOP) in the affected eye. If there is a risk of globe rupture, a slit lamp test with 10% fluorescein must be conducted. Normal tissue is dark orange under a blue cobalt filter; a lighter color is observed in the damaged zone due to a lower dye concentration. Ultrasonography (USG) can be useful in making a diagnosis, especially with posterior ruptures. Computed tomography (CT) sensitivity ranges 56–75%. In cases of anterior globe injuries, USG use, and if there is a risk of a foreign metal body, magnetic resonance imaging, are contraindicated. Prompt ophthalmology consultation is required. While in the emergency department, tetanus prophylaxis, analgesics, bed rest, head elevation, and systemic antibiotic therapy are required. The most commonly preferred antibiotics are cefazolin and vancomycin. Age over 60 years; injury sustained by assault, on the street/highway, during a fall, or by gunshot; and posterior injuries are indications of a poor prognosis.

Siedel test

Seidel test is used to detect ocular leaks from the globe following injury. If there is penetration to the eye, aqueous leakage happens. However, the fluid is clear and hard to identify. Therefore, non-invasive test “Siedel” is used for better visualization of this leakage. Fluorescein 10% is applied to the injured eye, and the leakage becomes more prominent.

To learn more about it, read chapters below.

Read "Eye Trauma" Chapter

Read "Red Eye" Chapter

Eye Trauma chapter was added into the content list.

Acute Red Eye

Subconjunctival hemorrhage eye.JPG
By Daniel FlatherOwn work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Red Eye chapter written by David Wood from USA is just uploaded to the Website!