“Medic 107, Engine 102. We have a firefighter complaining of eye pain and blurred vision which started during overhaul.”
As you pull up to the designated rehab area for the incident, you are met by the paramedic assigned to Engine 102. She introduces you to Frank. He was assigned to Truck 101 and was performing overhaul with his crew following the containment and suppression of a residential structure fire.
Frank was on the second floor pulling down plaster from the ceiling when his coworkers heard him cuss in pain. When asked if he was okay Frank said that he thought he “got something” in his eye. The crew attempted to locate the source of irritation, but were unable to in the dusty and poorly lit room. They walked Frank to the rehab area and returned to their overhaul duties.
Patient assessment
After introducing yourself to Frank, you ask if he still feels like there is something in his eye. Frank responds that he does and that he has been blinking frequently trying to clear the object. Frank also reports that his vision is blurry. Upon inspection, the globe of Frank’s right eye is obviously red and irritated with excessive tear production but there is no obvious trauma. A simple visual acuity test indicates that while Frank reports blurred vision he is able to see with the affected eye.
When asked if he was wearing any personal protective equipment, Frank says: “I took my SCBA mask off when we started overhaul and was wearing turnouts and a helmet.” He reluctantly admits that he was not wearing any eye protection at the time. Frank denies any additional complaints.
As you think about your assessment and treatment plan consider the following:
- What is your suspected differential diagnosis?
- What are your first steps for treatment?
- Did Frank use adequate preventative measures?
Post your answers below in the comments.
