Troubleshooting
Although the funduscopic examination is challenging for beginners, it becomes easier with practice. Familiarize yourself with the ophthalmoscope before examining patients. When examining patients, dim the room lights to maximize the dilatation of the pupils and improve the visual contrast of the fundus. First elicit the red reflex, since the red reflex indicates successful illumination of the retina. To locate the optic disk, approach the patient at an angle of about 15 degrees temporal to center; if the retina is not visualized, make small adjustments in the angle relative to the patient's visual axis.