Assessment: Visual Acuity
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1. 1. A visual acuity test should not be performed initially if the patient has which
condition?
A. A corneal abrasion
B. A foreign body embedded in the eye
C. A chemical burn to the eye
D. A complaint of loss of vision in an eye: C. A chemical burn to the eye
Rationale: If the patient has a chemical burn to the eye, immediate irrigation should be initiated before visual acuity
assessment to ensure that no further injury to the eye occurs. Patients with the other eye complaints should have a
visual acuity test performed before the eye examination begins.
2. 2. Which statement regarding pediatric visual acuity is the most accurate?
A. Children are not able to use the Snellen chart until the age of 10.
B. Visual acuity cannot be assessed in children younger than 2 years old.
C. A visual acuity of 20/30 may be a normal finding in a 4-year-old child.
D. Visual acuity can be measured using the tumbling E chart for a child who is
18 months old.: C. A visual acuity of 20/30 may be a normal finding in a 4-year-old child.
Rationale: A visual acuity of 20/30 is considered normal in a 4-year-old child; visual acuity is usually not 20/20 until a
child reaches 5 or 6 years old. The Snellen chart can be used with children when they can read and recognize letters,
which typically occurs between 5 and 6 years old. Gross visual acuity can be assessed in children under 2 years old
using the movement of objects in front of their eyes. An 18-month-old child is too young to use the tumbling E chart.
The ability to use illustrative eye charts usually develops between 2½ and 3 years old.
3. 3. An 85-year-old woman complaining of right eye pain cannot read the first
line of the Snellen chart at 20 ft (6 m). She did not bring her glasses with her.
What should the emergency nurse do?
A. Place the patient 10 ft (3 m) away from the chart and try the examination
again.
B. Begin the eye examination without performing a visual acuity examination.
C. Have her family bring her glasses from home so the examination can be
done.
D. Use an alternative method to determine visual acuity, such as counting
fingers.: A. Place the patient 10 ft (3 m) away from the chart and try the examination again.
1/4
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_9nr4s5
1. 1. A visual acuity test should not be performed initially if the patient has which
condition?
A. A corneal abrasion
B. A foreign body embedded in the eye
C. A chemical burn to the eye
D. A complaint of loss of vision in an eye: C. A chemical burn to the eye
Rationale: If the patient has a chemical burn to the eye, immediate irrigation should be initiated before visual acuity
assessment to ensure that no further injury to the eye occurs. Patients with the other eye complaints should have a
visual acuity test performed before the eye examination begins.
2. 2. Which statement regarding pediatric visual acuity is the most accurate?
A. Children are not able to use the Snellen chart until the age of 10.
B. Visual acuity cannot be assessed in children younger than 2 years old.
C. A visual acuity of 20/30 may be a normal finding in a 4-year-old child.
D. Visual acuity can be measured using the tumbling E chart for a child who is
18 months old.: C. A visual acuity of 20/30 may be a normal finding in a 4-year-old child.
Rationale: A visual acuity of 20/30 is considered normal in a 4-year-old child; visual acuity is usually not 20/20 until a
child reaches 5 or 6 years old. The Snellen chart can be used with children when they can read and recognize letters,
which typically occurs between 5 and 6 years old. Gross visual acuity can be assessed in children under 2 years old
using the movement of objects in front of their eyes. An 18-month-old child is too young to use the tumbling E chart.
The ability to use illustrative eye charts usually develops between 2½ and 3 years old.
3. 3. An 85-year-old woman complaining of right eye pain cannot read the first
line of the Snellen chart at 20 ft (6 m). She did not bring her glasses with her.
What should the emergency nurse do?
A. Place the patient 10 ft (3 m) away from the chart and try the examination
again.
B. Begin the eye examination without performing a visual acuity examination.
C. Have her family bring her glasses from home so the examination can be
done.
D. Use an alternative method to determine visual acuity, such as counting
fingers.: A. Place the patient 10 ft (3 m) away from the chart and try the examination again.
1/4
