Vision Screening Online Training Program
Module 5 (continued): Pupillary Light Response
(C&TC: Often performed by the health care provider)
The pupillary light response is used for making sure a child’s eyes respond appropriately to light. A failure of a pupil(s) to constrict or dilate quickly and/or equally may be in response to lesions on the retina, ocular nerve damage, or even blindness and requires a referral to a health care provider.
| Ages: | Birth to age 3 years or when visual acuity can be measured. | |
| Purpose: | To check for the pupils' reaction to light changes. Video 1: Example of Pupil Reactions (RealPlayer: 269KB) Animation Example of Pupillary Light Response (Macromedia Flash) |
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| Description: | Observing the child's pupil for symmetrical reaction to light. | |
| Equipment: | Penlight or other light source. | |
| Facilities: | Normal or lower light level. | |
| Procedure: | First observe the child's eyes noting if the pupils are of equal size. Approaching from the side, at eye level, shine the light into the right eye - the pupil should quickly constrict. Observe the left eye to see if it has equally constricted (consensual response). Remove the light - both eyes should dilate. Repeat the procedure on the left eye.
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| Pass: | Pupils quickly constrict when light is introduced and almost as quickly dilate when light is removed. The pupils remain equal in size. | |
| Re-screen/Refer: | Sluggish or no response upon the introduction or removal of the light; or if the pupils become unequal in size. | |
| NOTE: | The screener may observe the pupils dilate and constrict several times after illumination. This is a normal occurrence called Hippus. |
Question
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