Eye-related emergency calls and prehospital management in region Zealand, Danmark: a register-based cohort study.

backgroundEye-related symptoms ranging from mild irritation to acute vision loss can lead to emergency calls. While many cases are benign, others involve chemical exposures or trauma requiring urgent care to prevent permanent damage. Prehospital characteristics, dispatch categorization, and early management of eye-related emergencies remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to provide a systematic description of eye-related emergency calls, including patient characteristics, dispatch categorization, and prehospital management, within the framework of the Danish Index for Emergency Care.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of all emergency calls [1-1-2] in Region Zealand, Denmark, from November 2017 to June 2025, describing eye symptoms. We linked data from the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, the Prehospital Patient Records (PPJ), and the Danish National Patient Registry (NPR). Patient demographics, paramedic assessment of primary problem, on-scene symptoms, prehospital treatments and hospital outcomes were analysed using descriptive statistics.

resultsA total of 376 patients were identified calling 1-1-2 and registered with eye related symptoms as the main complaint. Of these, 36 (9.6%) were excluded due to missing patient identifiers or prehospital patient records, leaving 340 in the cohort. Median age was 49.5 years (IQR 29-68), and 62.1% were male. Most calls were categorized as priority B (urgent situation not assessed as acute life-threatening) (70.9%). The leading primary problems were chemical exposures (31.5%), vision loss (25.9%), and ocular trauma (18.2%). Vision disturbance (54.4%) was the most frequently prehospital reported symptom. Prehospital interventions were rarely documented, with irrigation being the most reported procedure (27.1%). Notably, 39 of 340 patients (11.5%) were suspected of stroke prehospitally, and among 283 admitted to hospital, 21 (7.4%) received a confirmed TIA or stroke diagnosis. The median length of stay was 3.7 h (IQR 2.0-7.7). Most frequent discharge diagnoses were injury of the eye and orbit (17.7%), burn and corrosion confined to eye and adnexa (9.9%), and foreign body on external eye (7.8%).

conclusionEye-related emergency calls were primarily caused by chemical exposures, vision loss, and trauma, with relatively short hospital stays. Several patients classified as eye-related problems were later diagnosed with stroke, highlighting the need for better dispatcher recognition of visual stroke symptoms. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.