October 26, 2020

Orbital Compartment Syndrome: Pearls and Pitfalls for the ED Physician

Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is a rare, vision-threatening diagnosis that requires rapid identification and immediate treatment for preservation of vision.^1-4 As with other compartment syndromes, rapidly increasing and sustained high intraocular pressures (IOP) can result in devastating consequences. OCS causes retinal and optic nerve ischemia due to increased pressure on those structures. Due to the time-sensitive nature of this condition, the emergency physician (EP) plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of OCS.⁵ The definitive therapy for this condition is lateral canthotomy and inferior cantholysis (LCIC). ...Read More