OCULAR PAIN - A CASUALTY STUDY - THE SPECTRUM AND PREVALENCE OF PAIN IN ACUTE EYE DISEASE

This study examined the prevalence and severity of ocular pain in eye casualty patients, All new patients presenting over a 1 month period w ere invited to indicate their pain level using a visual analogue scale , The results for 352 patients were analysed, and median pain levels c alculated for 29 common diagnoses. Of those responding, 94% (=47% of a ll new patients) had ocular pain at presentation. While many results w ere predictable, some diagnoses were associated with higher pain score s than expected, Junior ophthalmologists also were asked to indicate t heir perceptions of pain severity for the 29 diagnoses using the same visual analogue scale.