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Originally posted by HealingtouchCan someone please explain to me what a positive doll's eyes sign means and how to assess? Thank you so much :)
Hi Healingtouch, :)
According to my ICU book, a positive doll's eye sign is when the eyes deviate away from the direction of rotation (if the head is rotated to the right, the eyes will deviate to the left). When the brainstem is damaged or when the patient is awake, there is no eye deviation (the eyes will follow the direction of head rotation). The popular term "doll's eyes" was originally used to describe the reflex opening of the eyelids that is occasionally observed when the neck is flexed. However, this term is now used to indicate a positive oculocephalic reflex (brainstem intact).
Newborn babys have what is termed a doll's eye reflex (a normal response in newborns to keep the eyes stationary as the head is turned to the right or left). This reflex disappears as ocular fixation develops.
actually............there is another test also, for neuro/brainstem function, which i cannot remember the name.
you take a 30cc syringe, and an iv catheter. you fill a cup with ice water, and draw it up. then you squirt it into the ear canal. i can't remember what it is called, or what response to look for though? any neuro people out there?
me :)
originally posted by cen35actually............there is another test also, for neuro/brainstem function, which i cannot remember the name.
you take a 30cc syringe, and an iv catheter. you fill a cup with ice water, and draw it up. then you squirt it into the ear canal. i can't remember what it is called, or what response to look for though? any neuro people out there?
me :)
cen, the test you are referring to is used when checking for the oculovestibular reflex (cold calorics).
that particular reflex is elicited by injecting 30 ml of iced saline in the external auditory canal using a syringe and a short 2 inch catheter. when the brainstem is intact, the response involves conjugate eye deviation towards the irrigated ear. if the hemispheres are intact, there will also be a few minutes of nystagmus with the rapid component away from the irrigated ear. this nystagmus is not expected when the cerebral hemispheres are impaired. [compliments of my icu book, titled: the icu book, written by paul l. marino]
i worked neuro and sicu at one time, out of many other units i've cross-trained on, and neuro use to be one of my favorites until i cross-trained to pediatrics. love those little rugrats now!
VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN
49 Articles; 5,349 Posts
Can someone please explain to me what a positive doll's eyes sign means and how to assess? Thank you so much :)