Killer eye drops recall: What to know and the brands affected trends now
A flurry of US deaths and blindness caused by contaminated eyedrops has caused panic nationwide.
Three Americans have died, eight have suffered vision loss and four people have had to have their eyeballs removed after becoming infected with a rare drug-resistant strain of bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The bacteria has been found lurking in EzriCare and Delsam Pharma eyedrops from the Indian manufacturer Global Pharma, which have been recalled while health officials investigate.
Most patients reported using 10 different brands of artificial tears, but EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free, over-the-counter product packaged in multi-dose bottles, was the brand most commonly reported.
What do we know about the outbreak?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 68 people in 16 states were diagnosed with infections from the bacteria in EzriCare, which has caused three deaths and eight people losing their vision, and four people who had to have their eyeballs removed
As of March 14, a reported 68 patients in 16 states have been infected with this 'rare strain' of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first issued a warning to the public in January against using EzriCare Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears.
Last month, the manufacturer Global Pharma recalled the drops that had been sold at major drug stores across the country, including Walmart, Target, and CVS, and on Amazon.
It issued a second recall later in February of Delsam’s Artificial Eye Ointment ‘due to possible microbial contamination.’
A possible cause of the contamination is a lack of preservatives in the EzriCare and Delsam Pharma’s artificial tears.
The FDA said the company failed to adequately test its products for bacterial contamination and packaged them without adequate preservatives, a safeguard for products to prevent the growth of bacteria in the event of contamination.
Earlier this month, two other companies recalled some of their products. Florida-based Apotex voluntarily recalled six lots of its prescription Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution, 0.15 percent on March 1 because at least four bottle caps developed cracks, jeopardizing their sterility.
And on March 3, Pharmedica recalled its Purely Smoothing 15 percent MSM Drops ‘due to non-sterility.’
What are the symptoms of an eye infection?There are plenty of signs of eye infection to watch out for. Common symptoms include yellow, green, or clear discharge from the eye, blurry vision, discomfort or the feeling of something in the eye, sensitivity to light, and redness of the eye or eyelid.
Some of the horror stories related to the use of the recalled drops are just that. Horrible. A recent case study published this week in JAMA Ophthalmology reported on a 72-year-old woman who suffered vision loss in the left eye for one week after using EzriCare artificial tears for her bilateral dry eye syndrome.
Another case study involved a 72-year-old man who developed significant vision loss from an infection of the cornea. It later improved, but he still has
