A 21 year old male has a large piece of glass impaled in his eye. What should you do?

In a situation where a large piece of glass is impaled in the eye, the priority is to prevent further injury and control any bleeding while ensuring the glass remains as stable as possible. Stabilizing the glass with a paper cup is an appropriate response because it helps secure the impaled object and protects the eye from additional movement during transport. The structure of the cup can provide a barrier to further trauma and keeps the glass in place, minimizing the risk of further damage to the delicate ocular tissues.

The chosen action takes into account the importance of not removing the glass, as extraction can lead to significant bleeding or additional injury to the eye. Further, using sterile dressings to stabilize the glass might not be as effective in this scenario. The intent with the paper cup is specifically to protect the eye and provide a degree of stabilization while allowing the patient to be transported promptly to a medical facility for appropriate surgical evaluation and management.