Logo

Log In Sign Up |  An official publication of: American College of Emergency Physicians
Navigation
  • Home
  • Multimedia
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
  • Clinical
    • Airway Managment
    • Case Reports
    • Critical Care
    • Guidelines
    • Imaging & Ultrasound
    • Pain & Palliative Care
    • Pediatrics
    • Resuscitation
    • Trauma & Injury
  • Resource Centers
    • mTBI Resource Center
  • Career
    • Practice Management
      • Benchmarking
      • Reimbursement & Coding
      • Care Team
      • Legal
      • Operations
      • Quality & Safety
    • Awards
    • Certification
    • Compensation
    • Early Career
    • Education
    • Leadership
    • Profiles
    • Retirement
    • Work-Life Balance
  • Columns
    • ACEP4U
    • Airway
    • Benchmarking
    • Brief19
    • By the Numbers
    • Coding Wizard
    • EM Cases
    • End of the Rainbow
    • Equity Equation
    • FACEPs in the Crowd
    • Forensic Facts
    • From the College
    • Images in EM
    • Kids Korner
    • Medicolegal Mind
    • Opinion
      • Break Room
      • New Spin
      • Pro-Con
    • Pearls From EM Literature
    • Policy Rx
    • Practice Changers
    • Problem Solvers
    • Residency Spotlight
    • Resident Voice
    • Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine
    • Sound Advice
    • Special OPs
    • Toxicology Q&A
    • WorldTravelERs
  • Resources
    • ACEP.org
    • ACEP Knowledge Quiz
    • Issue Archives
    • CME Now
    • Annual Scientific Assembly
      • ACEP14
      • ACEP15
      • ACEP16
      • ACEP17
      • ACEP18
      • ACEP19
    • Annals of Emergency Medicine
    • JACEP Open
    • Emergency Medicine Foundation
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Medical Editor in Chief
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Awards
    • Authors
    • Article Submission
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright Information

High-Yield Ocular Ultrasound Applications in the ED, Part 2

By Katrina D’Amore, DO, MPH; Sarah Bolan, MD; and Nicole Yuzuk, DO | on April 17, 2019 | 0 Comment
Features
  • Tweet
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
Print-Friendly Version
Figure 2: Place a Tegaderm film dressing over the patient’s closed eye, gently press out any pockets of air, and apply a copious amount of gel directly over the Tegaderm.

You Might Also Like
  • High-Yield Ocular Ultrasound Applications in the ED, Part 1
  • High-Yield Ocular Ultrasound Applications in the ED, Part 3
  • Emergency Ocular Ultrasonography to Measure Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter
Explore This Issue
ACEP Now: Vol 38 – No 04 – April 2019

Figure 2: Place a Tegaderm film dressing over the patient’s closed eye, gently press out any pockets of air, and apply a copious amount of gel directly over the Tegaderm.

scan, the patient will have to move his or her eyes side to side and up and down to allow complete visualization of the posterior segment.

  • The orbit is a superficial structure. Therefore, a high-frequency linear transducer should be used.
  • For comfort and to prevent a mess, place a Tegaderm film dressing over the patient’s closed eye and gently press out any pockets of air. Remember, air is the enemy of ultrasound.
  • When performing ocular ultrasound, a copious amount of gel should be used, which will prevent contact of the transducer with the eyelid and minimize direct pressure. The gel can be applied directly over the Tegaderm (see Figure 2).
  • Figure 3: Transverse visualization of the orbit.

    Figure 3: Transverse visualization of the orbit.

    Visualize the orbit in both transverse (see Figure 3) and longitudinal planes. After scanning through, the patient should be asked to move his or her eye right to left and up and down. A combination of still images and dynamic scanning clips will best document your exam.

  • Repeat these steps on the unaffected eye.
  • Contraindications to the exam include high suspicion of globe rupture.
  • Always supplement your ocular POCUS exam with a visual acuity and intraocular pressure measurement for a well-rounded emergency eye exam.
  • [/fullbar]

    References

    1. Parker C. Optic nerve sheath diameter: window to the soul? Broome Docs website. Accessed Feb. 15, 2019.
    2. Ohle R, McIsaac SM, Woo MY, et al. Sonography of the optic nerve sheath diameter for detection of raised intracranial pressure compared to computed tomography: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Ultrasound Med. 2015;34:1285-1294.

    Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

    Topics: Emergency UltrasoundOcularOcular UltrasoundPOCUSUltrasound & Imaging

    Related

    • Case Report: Rapid Diagnosis of Acute Aortic Dissection with POCUS

      June 11, 2025 - 0 Comment
    • The SPEED Protocol: Using Ultrasound To Detect Acute Aortic Dissection

      May 10, 2024 - 0 Comment
    • How To Safely Incorporate Ultrasound Into Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation

      September 7, 2023 - 0 Comment

    Current Issue

    ACEP Now: June 2025 (Digital)

    Read More

    No Responses to “High-Yield Ocular Ultrasound Applications in the ED, Part 2”

    Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


    *
    *

    Wiley
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Preferences
    Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. ISSN 2333-2603