This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Referral criteria from primary care - squint (strabismus)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

  • intermittent deviation of the eyes is a quite common finding in healthy neonates and should not cause undue concern
    • normal binocular coordination becomes evident at about three months and strabismus (squint) after this age is significant.
  • constant squint is generally recognised early by the family, health visitor or general practitioner. A positive family history of squint or amblyopia should alert those in primary care when carrying out routine checks or immunisations
  • strabismus is often found in association with neurological disease such as in cerebral palsy and in craniofacial developmental anomalies
  • strabismus, amblyopia and refractive error are much more common in children with treated or regressed retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) Premature infants with a history of stage III ROP or worse should be followed up after the neonatal period to screen for these complications
  • if squint or amblyopia is suspected in the primary care setting, it is appropriate for local protocols to provide for direct referral to an optometrist or an orthoptist to exclude refractive error and strabismus. If no abnormality is detected, such patients may be discharged
    • cases with intermittent or constant manifest squint should be referred to an ophthalmologist without delay. In all children referred with strabismus or amblyopia the possibility must be considered that this is the presenting feature of a serious ophthalmic or systemic disease requiring urgent management
    • NICE suggest that a 2 week referral is indicated if a new squint or change in visual acuity and cancer is suspected (Refer non-urgently if cancer is not suspected)

Reference:


Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.