Endophthalmitis and retinal detachment after injection are both rare and both time-critical. Patients need to know what to look for and whom to call, in their own language, before they leave.
Mild grittiness and a small subconjunctival haemorrhage are common and harmless. Increasing pain, worsening redness, falling vision or light sensitivity in the first days suggests infection. New floaters, flashes or a shadow spreading across the vision at any time suggest detachment.
- Explain that mild grittiness and a red patch on the white of the eye are expected
- Increasing pain, redness or falling vision needs same-day review
- New flashes, a shower of floaters or a spreading shadow need urgent review
- Give a phone number that is answered out of hours
- Provide the advice in writing in the patient's preferred language
Why it matters
Outcomes after these complications depend on how fast the patient comes back.
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