Volume 12, Issue 11: Single eye vision loss – an eye for an eye

Single eye vision loss – an eye for an eye

Blurb

Only two months out of your newly qualified paramedic (NQP) period and you’re the lead clinician today! You receive a call to a 75-year-old male feeling generally unwell. He was on a river cruise when he felt nauseous, dizzy and lost sight in one eye. Now he is feeling better, and his symptoms have abated – he thinks it was just a migraine. Can he be discharged on scene?

CPD benefit

Transient monocular vision loss (TMVL) can be defined as episodes of temporary visual loss in one eye, lasting seconds to minutes and, rarely, for several hours. It can have multiple aetiologies but is generally categorised as ischaemic or non-ischaemic with ischaemic causes being more severe. This article provides information on the various causes of ischaemic and non-ischaemic TMVL and guidance on how pre-hospital clinicians can best assess patients presenting with TMVL including gaining a thorough history, assessing risk factors and recording their findings clearly in order to inform the receiving ED.