Table 2 Ideal referral timelines and recommended referral pathway.
From: Assessment and management of dry eye disease in the UK: standardising reality-based best practice
Timeline | Issue | Referral to: |
|---|---|---|
Urgent | Corneal melting | Eye casualty/corneal specialist |
Urgent | Signs of infection or ulceration | Eye casualty/corneal specialist |
Urgent | Corneal thinning with impending perforation | Eye casualty/corneal specialist |
Soon | Confluent SPK | Eye casualty/corneal specialist |
Soon | Filamentary keratitis | General ophthalmology |
Routine | DED refractory to treatment | Corneal specialist |
Routine | Systemic associations | General ophthalmologist (or corneal specialist if additional red flags are present) |
