What follow-up care is recommended for patients treated for acute red eye to ensure resolution and prevent complications?

Follow-up care for patients treated for acute red eye involves arranging a review to confirm diagnosis and ensure symptoms have resolved, particularly for infective conjunctivitis and corneal injuries.

For infective conjunctivitis, patients should be advised that there is no mandatory exclusion from school or nursery, but follow-up should be arranged to confirm resolution of symptoms. If symptoms persist beyond 7 to 10 days after treatment initiation, consider referral to ophthalmology and possibly sending swabs for viral PCR and bacterial culture. Empirical topical antibiotics may be offered if not previously tried ².

In cases of corneal superficial injury, follow-up within 24 hours is recommended to monitor healing and detect any complications. Patients should be informed about red flag symptoms such as worsening pain, irritation, redness, or decreased visual acuity that require urgent review ³.

For suspected uveitis or other serious causes of red eye, urgent referral to ophthalmology is required, and follow-up in secondary care includes monitoring treatment efficacy, adverse effects (e.g., intraocular pressure for steroid-induced glaucoma), and complications such as vision deterioration ¹,⁴.

Primary care professionals may also be involved in monitoring adverse effects of long-term corticosteroid use and ensuring patients receiving repeat topical steroids remain under ophthalmology care ¹.

Overall, follow-up aims to ensure resolution of the acute red eye, early detection of complications, and appropriate referral if symptoms persist or worsen ²,³,⁴.