Eye infections

• Can I talk to a doctor on Gotodoctor.ca about my eye infection?

Yes, Gotodoctor.ca provides virtual care services for eye infections. A doctor will take a comprehensive history and may provide you with prescriptions. Depending on the severity of symptoms further recommendations will be provided. If a patient is suffering from a severe eye infection the doctor will direct him/her to clinic treatment^[1].

• What is eye infection?

Conjunctivitis is the most common eye infection. Most of the infections are viral^[2]. Other eye infections like keratitis is a medical emergency which require specialized care. Common types of eye infections are uveitis, stye, blepharitis which are best treated with early diagnosis^[2-4]. 

• What are the symptoms of eye infection?

Eye infection can be presented with pain, foreign entity sensation in the eyes, continuous watery discharge from eyes, white sore in the eye and fever. A doctor will be able to diagnose eye infections at the clinic by identifying characteristic symptoms^{[5, 6]}. Complications of eye infections include obstruction in the vision, retinal damages, scars and ulcers in the cornea of the eye^[7]. Eye infections can spread to the brain through veins and cavernous sinus^[8].

• How is an eye infection treated?

A doctor decides on treatment after taking a comprehensive history of the patient. First of all, life-threatening conditions are excluded by the doctor at the clinic. Treatment may include prescription of antiviral medications, eye drops, topical ointments and corticosteroid drops^[9-11]. Other treatments may involve debridement and brushing off the cornea of the eye with a soft sponge or cotton to remove the infectious discharge.

• How can an online doctor on Gotodoctor.ca treat eye infections?

Online doctors on Gotodoctor.ca treat eye infections through telemedicine services. An appointment can be easily made with an online doctor. Eye infection can be treated via telemedicine methods^{[5, 9, 10, 12-17]}. But a doctor should be cautious, as eye infection may be an indication of a more sinister condition such as corneal damage, so it should be excluded. An online doctor will take a comprehensive history of your signs and symptoms and may provide you with prescriptions. Prescriptions can be obtained by online doctors. Virtual care services provided by Gotodoctor.ca assure comfort, convenience and a higher level of care for the patient.

References

1. Rönnerstam, R., et al., Prevalence of chlamydial eye infection in patients attending an eye clinic, a VD clinic, and in healthy persons. British journal of ophthalmology, 1985. 69(5): p. 385-388.
2. Stevens, J., A. Nesburn, and M. Cook, Latent herpes simplex virus from trigeminal ganglia of rabbits with recurrent eye infection. Nature New Biology, 1972. 235(59): p. 216-217.
3. Leibowitz, H.M., The red eye. New England Journal of Medicine, 2000. 343(5): p. 345-351.
4. Au, S., A surge in eye clinic nonattendance under 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak. Indian journal of ophthalmology, 2020. 68(5): p. 948-948.
5. Eaton, L.H., et al., Development and implementation of a telehealth-enhanced intervention for pain and symptom management. Contemporary clinical trials, 2014. 38(2): p. 213-220.
6. Staub, G.M., J. von Overbeck, and E. Blozik, Teleconsultation in children with abdominal pain: a comparison of physician triage recommendations and an established paediatric telephone triage protocol. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2013. 13: p. 110-110.
7. Shah, S.S. and P.G. Gallagher, Complications of conjunctivitis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a newborn intensive care unit. The Pediatric infectious disease journal, 1998. 17(2): p. 97-102.
8. OKUN, E. and W.T. BUTLER, Ophthalmologic complications of cryptococcal meningitis. Archives of Ophthalmology, 1964. 71(1): p. 52-57.
9. Almathami, H.K.Y., K.T. Win, and E. Vlahu-Gjorgievska, Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Telemedicine-Based, Real-Time, Online Consultation at Patients’ Homes: Systematic Literature Review. J Med Internet Res, 2020. 22(2): p. e16407.
10. Deldar, K., K. Bahaadinbeigy, and S.M. Tara, Teleconsultation and Clinical Decision Making: a Systematic Review. Acta informatica medica : AIM : journal of the Society for Medical Informatics of Bosnia & Herzegovina : casopis Drustva za medicinsku informatiku BiH, 2016. 24(4): p. 286-292.
11. Hadi, M.A., et al., Community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and practices towards dispensing antibiotics without prescription (DAwP): a cross-sectional survey in Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia. International journal of infectious diseases, 2016. 47: p. 95-100.
12. Gunasekeran, D.V., et al., Evaluating Safety and Efficacy of Follow-up for Patients With Abdominal Pain Using Video Consultation (SAVED Study): Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. 22(6): p. e17417-e17417.
13. Myers, D.R., et al., Towards remote assessment and screening of acute abdominal pain using only a smartphone with native accelerometers. Scientific Reports, 2017. 7(1): p. 12750.
14. Staub, G., J. Overbeck, and E. Blozik, Teleconsultation in children with abdominal pain: A comparison of physician triage recommendations and an established paediatric telephone triage protocol. BMC medical informatics and decision making, 2013. 13: p. 110.
15. Bokolo Anthony, J., Use of Telemedicine and Virtual Care for Remote Treatment in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Medical Systems, 2020. 44(7): p. 132.
16. Wang, X., et al., Impact of Telemedicine on Healthcare Service System Considering Patients’ Choice. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2019. 2019: p. 7642176.
17. Williams, O.E., et al., The use of telemedicine to enhance secondary care: some lessons from the front line. Future healthcare journal, 2017. 4(2): p. 109-114.