When a patient comes in with a broken leg or renal colic, we run over and give the patient pain meds (because we’re nice people, not because of CMS requirements). We should do the same when someone comes in with eye pain, though this is rarely done. Allegedly, the cornea is one of the most pain-sensitive areas in the body. Throw a few drops of tetracaine or proparacaine into the eye and come back later if you’re busy with other patients. Take a quick look at the eye and see if there’s something scary going on (like acute glaucoma).
On exam, he has a large corneal abrasion. What do you send him home with?