If eyes could see.
Vision. We take it for granted until we have eye problems or suddenly lose sight in one or both eyes. As mountain rescuers, eye injury or loss of vision during a mission could turn a rescuer into another victim needing assistance. Self protection is vital for eyes and critical in many situations. Carrying specific types of safety glasses depends on your situation. With any operations close to aircraft (near or under helicopters), most teams require clear safety glasses and ear protection. Appalachian Mountain Rescue Team requires clear safety glasses as part of our normal SAR pack. Besides helicopter operations, operations at night also require safety glasses as it is quite easy to run into the limb of a tree or bush while performing search or rescue off trail. Additionally, for those of who need reading/ closeup viewing aids (readers) there are safety glasses with built-in bifocal reader lenses. Bifocals take a little getting used to walking the trail but they work well. Ski googles help when there is snow, ice and wind and help cut down on potential eye injuries from cold or ice crystals.
Treating eye injuries takes a bit more expertise and practice than normal first aid, but recognizing them is a basic first aid skill rescuers should have. Most ocular problems in the field are from direct trauma and can range from a scratch on the cornea, which is the clear part of the eye in front of the iris, to penetrating trauma. First-aid trained responders can administer drops and pain relief if necessary and within their agency’s scope of practice, but more advanced treatment would come from a higher-level medical professional. Two common injuries are Corneal Abrasion and Ultraviolet (UV) Keratitis.
Corneal abrasion is caused by a scratch in the cornea from a foreign object such as grain of sand, a direct blow to the eye like a scratch from tree limb or even just the use of contact lenses. The scratches are usually self limiting and heal on their own unless the causative agent is not removed. These scratches are sometimes visible to the naked eye but much more visible with fluorescein staining and blue light source. Treatment is artificial tears, topical antibiotics every eight hours, cycloplegics every eight hours, NSAIDs like Advil, and eye drops. Patching of the eye is not recommended but sunglasses may help with photophobia.
UV Keratitis is caused by exposure to significant UV light. Longer exposure to sun on a snowy mountain is a common method of injury. Symptoms of severe pain, burning and tearing with a red eye usually occur six to 12 hours after exposure. Diagnosis can be assisted with fluorescein staining and examination with a cobalt blue light source which shows multiple small punctate lesions on the cornea. Treatment is the same as corneal abrasions. Prevention is proper eye protection that reduce UV rays, including glare that can reflect up from the snow-covered ground, like Glacier glasses, googles or sunglasses.
Suggested basic medical kit for eye problems: Artificial tears, ophthalmic antibiotics, light source with cobalt blue filter, fluorescein strips, anesthetic eye drops, cotton-tipped applicators, oral pain medicine. The anesthetic and antibiotic eye drops are prescription medications and would require a licensed provider.
TEXTB
