A pre-hospital team encounters a 35-year-old male who has been involved in a high-speed jet ski collision. He has bilateral periorbital bruising, clea...

Question

A pre-hospital team encounters a 35-year-old male who has been involved in a high-speed jet ski collision. He has bilateral periorbital bruising, clear fluid from his nose, and a GCS of 12. He is wearing contact lenses. What specific instruction should be given regarding the contact lenses?

Accepted Answer

Remove the contact lenses as soon as possible - if the patient develops reduced consciousness and requires RSI, contact lenses make pupil assessment unreliable and may cause corneal injury during prolonged wear in an unconscious patient

Answer

Replace the contact lenses with spectacles at the scene

Answer

Only remove contact lenses if the patient requests it

Answer

Leave the contact lenses in place - they protect the corneas

Answer

Contact lenses have no clinical relevance

uk-dipimc MCQ (SBA): Contact Lens Removal in Trauma

A pre-hospital team encounters a 35-year-old male who has been involved in a high-speed jet ski collision. He has bilateral periorbital bruising, clear fluid from his nose, and a GCS of 12. He is wearing contact lenses. What specific instruction should be given regarding the contact lenses?