[On the urgency of treating ophthalmic emergencies]

In emergencies in ophthalmology a distinction must be made between systemic emergency situations that manifest in the eye and purely ocular emergencies. The latter threaten vision to varying degrees and therefore require differentiated treatment and care by the ophthalmologist. This requires considerable responsibility and high expertise as all subdisciplines of ophthalmology can be affected. Due to demographic developments and other factors, the number of emergency patients is increasing, which requires adaptation in resources and clinical management of patients.