# Foreign Body in Eye - Category: chronic - Review status: reviewed (every claim checked against a document named on this page) - Sources: Corneal Foreign Body - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536977/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class FD37 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care - Verified date: 2026-08 ## Verified against - No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care - Corneal Foreign Body - disease-level clinical article (eye-foreign-body-clinical.txt) ## Treatment metadata - No drug therapy in primary care (Referral & Advice) ## Complete treatment card ```text FOREIGN BODY IN EYE Sources: Corneal Foreign Body - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536977/ · ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class FD37 - condition scope only, no dose · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care Review status: REVIEWED against No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care, Corneal Foreign Body - disease-level clinical article (eye-foreign- body-clinical.txt) (2026-08) IS IT THIS? - reference only, to read alongside your own examination SYMPTOMS - what the patient reports (6) - Symptoms typically start suddenly, with ongoing discomfort that does not ease on its own - Patients report tearing, redness, a gritty sensation, pain whether the eye is open or shut, light sensitivity, and mild blurring without real vision loss [eye discharge · photophobia · redness] - A recent history of hammering, grinding, or similar work is common, and some patients can point to where it entered - Most patients misjudge exactly where the foreign body sensation is coming from [foreign body] - The complaint is sudden discomfort, the feeling of something in the eye, redness, streaming tears and being unable to keep the eye open [foreign body · redness] - Pain, dislike of light, watering and blurred vision are the rule, and infection or corneal scarring afterwards can cost the sight for good [blurred vision · eye pain · photophobia · scarring] SIGNS - what you find (6) - A foreign body retained over 24 hours can trigger white cells in the cornea or anterior chamber, and visible blood layering raises concern for a ruptured globe [foreign body] - Redness is usually localized to the area right around the embedded material [redness] - A metallic fragment can leave a rust deposit on the cornea - A positive Seidel sign shows fluid streaming from the injury site, pointing to a perforated globe - Look for a break in the corneal surface, the object itself, a swollen cornea, a rust ring where the fragment was metal, infiltrate in the front of the stroma, or a melting cornea - Red flag: if it has gone deeper it can cause uveitis after the injury, bleeding into the vitreous, or endophthalmitis [bleeding] TESTS (6) - Fluorescein dye highlights corneal surface defects and hidden abrasions or debris - A plain x-ray is used when a metallic fragment is suspected but the exam does not confirm it - MRI should not be used when a metallic foreign body might be present - MRI is reserved for suspected nonmetallic material like wood or plastic, given its soft-tissue detail - A CBC with differential is checked if presentation is delayed or a deep eye infection is suspected - Corneal scrapings are Gram-stained, KOH-prepped, and cultured when organic material is involved IF NOT THIS - what else fits (8) - A simple corneal abrasion from trauma can mimic foreign body symptoms without any retained material - A corneal ulcer shows infiltration alongside the pain and photophobia - Branching dendritic ulcers on the cornea point to herpetic keratitis rather than a retained foreign body - Episodic surface defects with a prior history of similar erosion suggest recurrent corneal erosion - A raised pinguecula or pterygium growth can look like a lodged foreign body - A full-thickness globe rupture from the trauma needs emergency surgery to save vision - Acid or alkali chemical exposure needs immediate irrigation and is distinguished by that exposure history - A history of welding or sunlamp exposure points to UV keratitis rather than a retained foreign body Source StatPearls "Corneal Foreign Body" - disease-level clinical article Status traced to the source above 1. NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE) [1st line] Adult A foreign object - commonly sand or dust in Cairo - on the surface of the eye; a GP can attempt simple removal and prescribe antibiotic drops afterward, referring if the object is embedded, metallic, or globe penetration is suspected. - Refer, with advice Peds Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is implied. Source No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care Why A foreign object - commonly sand or dust in Cairo - on the surface of the eye; a GP can attempt simple removal and prescribe antibiotic drops afterward, referring if the object is embedded, metallic, or globe penetration is suspected. Caution No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to. RED FLAG - MRI is strictly contraindicated if a metallic foreign body is suspected. RED FLAG - A visible metallic fragment or rust ring, an embedded or penetrating object or suspected rupture of the eyeball, or reduced vision after removal: refer urgently to ophthalmology. Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy. ``` --- Dawaa Reference is a reference for prescribers, not a medical device, and does not replace clinical judgement. [Privacy policy](/privacy)