Arc eye
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Arc eye Classification and external resources |
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| ICD-10 | H16.1 |
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| ICD-9 | 370.24 |
Arc eye, also known as arc flash, welder's flash, corneal flash burns, or flash burns, is a painful ocular condition sometimes experienced by welders who have failed to use adequate eye protection. It can also occur due to using tanning beds without proper eyewear, excessive sun exposure, light reflected from snow (known as snow blindness), water or sand. The intense ultraviolet light absorbed by the eye causes a superficial and painful keratitis.
Symptoms tend to occur a number of hours after exposure and typically resolve spontaneously within 36 hours. The sensation has been described as having sand poured into the eyes.
Although it is possible for defects in specific types of industrial lighting to cause the same problem, this phenomenon can not be caused by simple over-illumination as commonly found in many factory and office environments.
[edit] Signs
- Intense lacrimation
- Blepharospasm
- Photophobia [1]
- Fluorescein dye staining will reveal corneal ulcers under blue light
- Constricted pupils note: this symptom may last as long as 96 to 128 hours in some cases.
[edit] Management
- Instill topical anaesthesia
- Inspect the cornea for any foreign body
- Patch the worse of the two eyes and prescribe analgesia
- Topical antibiotics in the form of eye drops or eye ointment or both should be prescribed for prophylaxis against infection
[edit] External links
 WikiProject Metalworking
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| Welding | |
| Arc welding: Shielded metal (MMA) | Gas metal (MIG) | Flux-cored | Submerged | Gas tungsten (TIG) | Plasma | |
| Other processes: Oxyfuel | Resistance | Spot | Forge | Ultrasonic | Electron beam | Laser beam | |
| Equipment: Power supply | Electrode | Shielding gas | Robot | |
| Related: Heat-affected zone | Weldability | Residual stress | Arc eye | Underwater welding | |
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See also: Brazing | Soldering | Metalworking | Fabrication | Casting | Machining | Metallurgy | Jewelry |
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