FLORIDA'S ONLY JOINT COMMISSION-ACCREDITED URGENT CARE
FLORIDA'S ONLY JOINT COMMISSION-ACCREDITED URGENT CARE · ONE OF JUST 8 NATIONWIDE
FLORIDA'S ONLY JOINT COMMISSION-ACCREDITED URGENT CARE
FLORIDA'S ONLY JOINT COMMISSION-ACCREDITED URGENT CARE · ONE OF JUST 8 NATIONWIDE
Same-visit physician evaluation, fluorescein staining when indicated, antibiotic or antihistamine drops prescribed on-site. Walk in, no appointment needed.
Joint Commission accredited. Physician on shift every day. Most insurance accepted.
Yes. TrufaMED evaluates and treats pink eye (conjunctivitis) on a walk-in basis, seven days a week, under physician supervision. The typical visit — history, slit-lamp style external eye exam, fluorescein staining when indicated, and a prescription if warranted — takes about 30 minutes.
Featured Answer
Pink eye is not a single disease. It is three overlapping conditions — bacterial, viral, and allergic — that look similar but need different treatment. A board-certified physician distinguishes them by history and exam, then prescribes antibiotic drops, supportive care, or antihistamine drops accordingly. Treating the wrong type delays recovery and can worsen symptoms.
Pink eye is a catch-all term for conjunctivitis — inflammation of the thin membrane covering the white of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. The three root causes behave differently, look different on exam, and respond to different treatments. Our physicians make the distinction during the visit.
| Type | Hallmark Findings | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Bacterial Conjunctivitis | Thick yellow or green discharge, lashes matted on waking, usually one eye first then spreads, moderate redness | Topical antibiotic drops (erythromycin, polymyxin-trimethoprim, or fluoroquinolone for contact lens wearers). Symptoms improve within 24 to 48 hours. |
| Viral Conjunctivitis | Watery discharge, burning or gritty sensation, often preceded by cold symptoms, may have preauricular lymph node tenderness | Supportive care: cool compresses, preservative-free artificial tears, strict hand hygiene. Antibiotics do not help. Resolves in 7 to 14 days. |
| Allergic Conjunctivitis | Intense itching (key distinguishing feature), both eyes affected simultaneously, watery discharge, stringy mucus, boggy swollen conjunctiva | Antihistamine-mast cell stabilizer drops (olopatadine, ketotifen), cool compresses, identification and avoidance of allergen, oral antihistamine if systemic allergy involved. |
| Viral Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis | Highly contagious adenoviral form, severe redness, swollen preauricular node, foreign body sensation, may show corneal infiltrates on fluorescein staining | Supportive care plus close monitoring. Strict isolation hygiene for 10 to 14 days. Referral to ophthalmology if corneal involvement worsens vision. |
The most common pitfall in pink eye management is empiric antibiotic drops for what is actually a viral or allergic case. Antibiotics do not shorten viral conjunctivitis and do nothing for allergy — they can also mask developing keratitis, which needs ophthalmology. A proper exam is what separates treatment from guessing. Our physicians use a standardized external eye exam plus fluorescein staining when the history raises concern for corneal involvement.
Pink eye overlaps with urgent care presentations we see daily: a patient with upper respiratory symptoms and watery eyes usually has viral conjunctivitis alongside their cold. A patient with seasonal allergies and puffy itchy lids usually has allergic conjunctivitis that is part of their overall allergy picture. A patient who wakes up with a sealed eye and thick yellow discharge usually has bacterial conjunctivitis that responds to targeted antibiotic drops.
Conjunctivitis presents with a mix of redness, discharge, and discomfort. The pattern of which symptoms dominate helps narrow the cause. A physician exam is the fastest way to confirm.
The symptoms that should prompt same-day physician evaluation rather than watchful waiting: vision changes, severe eye pain, intense light sensitivity, a sensation that something is stuck under the lid that was not there before, or any symptom in a contact lens wearer. These are exam findings that can point to keratitis, corneal ulcer, or herpetic disease — all of which need prompt treatment and are sometimes missed without fluorescein staining.
For routine conjunctivitis with typical symptoms and no red flags, a walk-in urgent care visit resolves the question quickly: what type is it, what prescription (if any), and when can I return to school or work.
The diagnosis of pink eye is clinical — history, inspection, and targeted testing. Our physicians perform a structured external eye exam in every pink eye visit.
Onset timing, laterality (one eye versus both), discharge type (watery versus thick), itching intensity, recent illness in the household, contact lens use, known allergies, vision changes, trauma history, and prior episodes. This alone narrows the differential for most patients.
Visual inspection of lids, lashes, conjunctiva, cornea, and pupil. We check for lid swelling, vesicles (suggesting herpes simplex), follicles versus papillae (viral versus allergic), pseudomembranes (adenoviral epidemic keratoconjunctivitis), and regional lymph node tenderness. Anterior segment is inspected under magnification.
A basic vision check at the beginning of the visit. Any reduction in visual acuity changes management — it raises concern for corneal involvement and prompts a more detailed exam and potential referral.
Fluorescein is a yellow-orange dye applied to the eye surface. Under a cobalt blue light, it highlights any disruption of the corneal epithelium — ulcers, abrasions, or dendrites characteristic of herpes simplex keratitis. This is done selectively when the history (contact lens wearer, severe pain, vision change, trauma) or exam findings warrant it. Fluorescein takes two minutes and does not delay the visit.
Routine conjunctivitis does not require lab testing. Culture is reserved for severe, recurrent, or treatment-resistant cases — or cases in contact lens wearers where pseudomonas is a concern. Our on-site lab can send out eye cultures when clinically indicated.
What a Pink Eye Visit Includes
How Long a Pink Eye Visit Takes
The right treatment depends on which type of conjunctivitis you have. Below are the typical regimens our physicians prescribe, adjusted to the individual patient.
Topical antibiotic drops or ointment — polymyxin-trimethoprim, erythromycin ointment, or a fluoroquinolone for contact lens wearers. Course is typically 5 to 7 days. Most patients improve within 48 hours.
Cool compresses 4 times daily, preservative-free artificial tears, strict hand hygiene, separate towels. Resolves in 7 to 14 days. No antibiotic drops. Return if symptoms worsen or vision changes.
Antihistamine-mast cell stabilizer drops such as olopatadine or ketotifen, used daily through allergy season. Oral antihistamine when systemic allergy is present. Removal of known trigger when possible.
Stop wearing lenses immediately. Fluoroquinolone drop coverage against pseudomonas. Discard current lens pair, case, and solution. Do not resume lens wear until the eye is fully clear and approved by a physician.
Age-appropriate topical antibiotic when bacterial, ondansetron is unnecessary, same exam depth as adults. Clear return-to-school guidance in writing.
Drops are sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice during the visit. Most patients leave our clinic and pick up their prescription within 30 to 60 minutes.
Administration matters as much as selection. One drop is enough — the eye can only hold so much volume before the rest runs down the cheek. Close the eye gently for 30 seconds after each drop (do not squeeze). For ointment, a thin ribbon in the lower lid margin is plenty. Wash hands before and after. Do not share towels, pillows, or eye cosmetics until the eye has been clear for 24 hours.
If you wear contacts, discontinue immediately. Discard the current pair. Replace the lens case. Use fresh solution when you resume. Contact lens wearers with pink eye are evaluated under a higher index of suspicion for bacterial keratitis — a more serious infection of the cornea itself that can scar vision if missed.
If you wear contacts and develop red-eye symptoms, the clinical stakes are higher. Pink eye in a contact lens wearer is treated as possible bacterial keratitis until proven otherwise.
Contact lenses disrupt the normal protective barrier of the cornea, allowing bacteria — especially pseudomonas aeruginosa — to invade. A pseudomonal corneal ulcer can perforate in 48 hours and cause permanent vision loss. Ordinary pink eye looks similar in the first day. This is why we treat a contact lens wearer with red-eye symptoms as a rule-out keratitis presentation.
Fluorescein staining on every contact-lens red eye. Coverage with a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (moxifloxacin, ofloxacin) rather than a narrower drop. Close follow-up instructions, typically a recheck within 48 hours if we are uncertain. Referral to ophthalmology if we see anything suggesting corneal ulceration.
Stop wearing lenses the moment symptoms start — not “in a few days.” Discard the current pair of lenses and the case (they are colonized). Use glasses throughout treatment. Do not resume lens wear until the eye has been clear for at least 24 hours and ideally longer — and you have cleared it with your physician. Start with a brand-new lens pair, new case, and fresh solution.
Wash hands before every lens insertion and removal. Never use tap water to rinse lenses or the case. Never sleep in lenses unless they are explicitly approved for extended wear (most are not). Replace lenses on schedule. Replace the case every three months. Show your lens habits honestly to your physician — many conjunctivitis recurrences in lens wearers trace to sleeping in daily-wear lenses.
Contact Lens Red-Eye Rules
Children catch pink eye easily — they touch their eyes, share toys, and bring home whatever is circulating at school or daycare. Our physicians see pediatric pink eye daily through our pediatric urgent care service.
We use the same structured external eye exam in children: history, inspection, vision check when age-appropriate, and fluorescein staining if indicated. Pediatric dosing for antibiotic drops is weight-based when necessary, and the selection of drop (ointment versus solution) is often adjusted for younger kids who tolerate ointment better.
Florida school policies vary by district and school, but the general rule is: children with pink eye may return to school 24 hours after starting appropriate treatment, provided discharge has significantly decreased and the child is no longer symptomatic to the point of constant eye rubbing. Viral conjunctivitis without a treatable cause typically requires staying out until symptoms are clearly improving. We provide a written school/daycare note at every pediatric pink eye visit.
Infants and very young children — especially under 1 year old — with pink eye need same-day evaluation, not a wait-and-see approach. Neonatal conjunctivitis (in the first 30 days of life) is evaluated on a different pathway because it can reflect systemic infection or congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. For older children, severe pain, vision changes, or lid swelling that is spreading to the cheek (possible orbital cellulitis) is an emergency.
Pink eye spreads through hand-to-eye contact. Separate towels, washcloths, and pillowcases during the illness. Wash hands aggressively. Do not share eye cosmetics, sunglasses, or anything that touches the eye. Viral conjunctivitis remains contagious as long as tears and discharge persist, which can be up to 14 days for adenoviral types.
Pediatric Pink Eye Quick Facts
Most pink eye is urgent-care level. Some presentations need emergency evaluation. The findings below move disposition from urgent care to the emergency department or same-day ophthalmology.
Go to the ER or call 911 if:
If you are unsure, come in. We examine every red eye and escalate when findings warrant. The cost of a same-day physician evaluation is worth it when the alternative is missing a corneal ulcer, orbital cellulitis, herpes simplex keratitis, or a penetrating eye injury — any of which can permanently affect vision.
Pink eye looks simple. Treating it well is not. It requires ruling out the conditions that mimic it, selecting the right drop, and giving clear return-to-work and return-to-school guidance. TrufaMED is built for that level of care.
01 · Accreditation
Florida’s Only JC-Accredited Urgent Care
Joint Commission accreditation — the same body that accredits hospitals — audits our infection control, sterile technique, and clinical protocols every three years.
02 · Physicians
Every Visit Includes an MD
Every patient is evaluated by a board-certified physician. Led by Dr. Uri Gedalia (Chief Medical Officer) and Dr. Shane D. Naidoo (Medical Director, Emergency Medicine). Meet them on our staff page.
03 · Fluorescein Staining
We Stain When It Matters
We use fluorescein staining on every contact lens red eye, every trauma history, and any concerning exam. This two-minute test finds corneal ulcers and dendrites that are invisible to routine inspection.
04 · Same-Visit Prescriptions
Drops Sent Before You Leave
Antibiotic, antihistamine, or lubricating drops are e-prescribed to the pharmacy of your choice during the visit. Most patients pick up their prescription within 30 to 60 minutes of leaving our clinic.
05 · School and Work Notes
Written Documentation Every Visit
We provide written school return notes for pediatric patients and work notes for adults, every visit, no extra charge. Documentation states the diagnosis, the treatment, and when return to normal activity is appropriate.
06 · Insurance Friendly
Covered by Most Plans
Pink eye evaluation is a standard urgent care visit covered by most major plans including Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, Humana, Oscar*, Medicare. Self-pay pricing quoted up front if uninsured.
The questions our physicians answer most often about conjunctivitis diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.
TrufaMED is at 9445 Harding Ave in Surfside — minutes from Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, and Aventura. Walk in without an appointment seven days a week.
9445 Harding Ave, Surfside, FL 33154 · Contact our team · Walk-in only — no appointment needed.
Monday – Friday
9 AM – 9 PM
Saturday
11 AM – 11 PM
Sunday
12 PM – 8 PM
TrufaMED is Florida’s only Joint Commission-accredited urgent care. In addition to pink eye, we handle the full urgent care spectrum including allergy treatment, influenza, sore throat, UTI, and dehydration IV therapy. Most insurance accepted. Self-pay patients welcome.
Pink eye evaluation and prescription — physician exam, fluorescein when indicated, e-prescription — is covered by most major plans as a standard urgent care visit.
Physician evaluation, fluorescein staining when indicated, and same-visit prescriptions. No appointment needed. Most insurance accepted.
Medical Disclaimer: Content on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Conjunctivitis severity varies by individual, and proper diagnosis and treatment require an in-person physician evaluation. If you are experiencing sudden vision loss, severe eye pain, penetrating eye injury, chemical splash, or any other emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. TrufaMED Urgent Care & Concierge Medicine — 9445 Harding Ave, Surfside, FL 33154 — (305) 537-6396. Joint Commission accredited.
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