Red Eye Referral

NICE CKS Red Eye. Last revised: May 2021

Referral Guidelines

That is, potentially sight-threatening cause of red eye
  • Acute glaucoma
  • Trauma (e.g. penetrating eye injury, high velocity foreign body)
  • Chemical injury - immediately irrigate the eye with water / normal saline first until pH normalises 
  • Corneal laceration
  • Corneal foreign body which cannot be removed in primary care
  • Corneal ulcer
  • Contact lens-related ulcer
  • Intraocular foreign body
  • Endophthalmitis 
  • Neonatal conjunctivitis

Red painful eye → refer!

  • Anterior uveitis
  • Scleritis 

Manage these conditions in primary care:
  • Subconjunctival haemorrhage 
  • Episcleritis 
  • Ectropion, entropion, trichiasis 
  • Conjunctivitis, blepharitis 
  • Subtarsal / conjunctival foreign body 
  • Dry eye
  • Corneal abrasion

References

Author: Adams Lau
Reviewer:
Last Edited: 20/02/25