👁️ OphthalmologyEye / InfectiousStudentInternResident

Conjunctivitis

Also known as: pink eye · red eye

Inflammation of the conjunctiva — a red eye with discharge, usually NON-painful and with normal vision. Causes are viral (commonest), bacterial and allergic; the key skill is excluding the sight-threatening causes of a red eye.

Source · Reviewed 2026-08-15 · v1.0— AI-assisted draft — verify against the cited guideline before clinical use.

⚕️ Education only — not medical advice. Verify against the latest official guideline and your local protocol; confirm every drug dose against the cited source before clinical use.

Who gets it

All ages; viral/bacterial forms are contagious; allergic in atopic people; neonatal conjunctivitis (ophthalmia neonatorum) is a special, serious case.

Red flags — escalate / refer

Pain, reduced vision, photophobia, a fixed/irregular pupil, or ciliary flush → NOT simple conjunctivitis (think keratitis, iritis, acute glaucoma) — urgent ophthalmology; a neonate with conjunctivitis, or a contact-lens wearer with a red eye → urgent/specific work-up.

Work-up / diagnosis

1Clinical — the discharge type helps (watery = viral, purulent = bacterial, itchy and bilateral = allergic).
2Confirm normal vision and no pain; swab severe, neonatal or refractory cases.

Management — overview

Viral — supportive (strict hand hygiene, cold compresses; usually self-limiting and highly contagious).
Bacterial — topical antibiotics for severe/persistent cases (many mild cases resolve without).
Allergic — allergen avoidance and antihistamine/mast-cell-stabiliser drops.
Treat neonatal and contact-lens-related cases urgently and specifically; do not pad/patch the eye.

In-depthFull dosing & advanced protocol

Drug dosing

Topical antibiotic (bacterial) / antihistamine drops (allergic)

By cause; supportive for viral

Adult dose: Per protocol
Route: Topical (ocular)

ICMRStandard Treatment Workflows (STWs), India — Dept. of Health Research & ICMR (2022+) ↗

Most is viral; spot the red-flag red eye

Most conjunctivitis is viral and self-limiting — avoid unnecessary antibiotics.
Pain, reduced vision or photophobia mean a serious cause — refer to ophthalmology.
Neonatal and contact-lens red eyes are special and urgent.

ICMRStandard Treatment Workflows (STWs), India — Dept. of Health Research & ICMR (2022+) ↗

References

Guidelines change. If something here is out of date, tell us — we keep these current.

🚩 Report outdated / suggest update

More protocols

Acute Red EyeA common presentation ranging from benign conjunctivitis to sight-threatening emergencies. The key skill is spotting the dangerous red eye.Acute Angle-Closure GlaucomaA sudden rise in intraocular pressure from blockage of aqueous drainage — a painful red eye with blurred vision, haloes around lights, headache and nausea/vomiting, with a fixed mid-dilated pupil. A sight-threatening emergency.CataractClouding of the lens causing gradual, painless blurring of vision, glare and faded colours — the leading cause of reversible blindness worldwide, and cured by surgery.

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👤 Who gets it

🚩 Red flags — escalate / refer

🔎 Work-up / diagnosis

🧭 Management — overview

💊 Drug dosing

Topical antibiotic (bacterial) / antihistamine drops (allergic)

📈 Most is viral; spot the red-flag red eye

📚 References

More protocols

👤 Who gets it

🚩 Red flags — escalate / refer

🔎 Work-up / diagnosis

🧭 Management — overview

💊 Drug dosing

Topical antibiotic (bacterial) / antihistamine drops (allergic)

📈 Most is viral; spot the red-flag red eye

📚 References

More protocols

Who gets it

Red flags — escalate / refer

Work-up / diagnosis

Management — overview

Drug dosing

Most is viral; spot the red-flag red eye

References

Who gets it

Red flags — escalate / refer

Work-up / diagnosis

Management — overview

Drug dosing

Most is viral; spot the red-flag red eye

References