Conjunctivitis resident survival guide
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Overview
Conjunctivitis is the most common eye infection causing dilation of conjunctival blood vessels and results in inflammation. The most common cause of conjunctivitis is infection of which viral infections are the commonest cause, followed by bacterial. The non-infection forms are allergic, mechanical, toxic and neoplastic. Among noninfectious conjunctivitis, the allergic form is more common. Infectious conjunctivitis can be presented with red eye, foreign body sensation, itching, light sensitivity, burning, and watery discharge in viral conjunctivitis and mucopurulent discharge in bacterial form. Regarding the onset and severity of clinical symptoms, conjunctivitis is classified as acute, chronic, and recurrent. Most cases of infectious conjunctivitis are considered as acute conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis can be chronic while it can be present with acute exacerbations related to seasonal factors or contact lens use. It is important to differentiate conjunctivitis from other sight-threatening eye diseases that have similar clinical presentation.
Causes
Life Threatening Causes
Most cases of conjunctivitis are relatively mild and will not cause eye damage of any sort. However, if it left untreated it can lead to sight-treathening complications including:
Viral conjunctivitis
- Adenoviruses are the most common cause of viral conjunctivitis
- Herpes simplex virus (HSV)
- Varicella zoster virus (VZV)
- Picornaviruses
Bacterial conjunctivitis
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Do's
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Don'ts
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