The CDC says there are more deaths associated with recalled eye drops


Infections of a rare strain of drug-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa: A case study with EzriCare Artificial Tears

In February, Apotex Corp. and Pharmedica USA recalled some eyedrop products, though they were not linked to infections at the time.

The CDC said that there were ten different brands of drugs involved in the cases. But the most common was Ezri Care Artificial Tears, which the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers to stop purchasing last month.

Since March 21, the CDC has identified 69 people in 16 states with infections of a rare strain of drug- resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa. Most of the patients reported using artificial tears, the CDC said, and EzriCare Artificial Tears was the brand most commonly reported.

In the most extreme cases, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, including the bloodstream. Three people have died due to infections, the CDC said. At least eight others have experienced vision loss and four have undergone enucleation — the surgical removal of the eyeball.

The woman’s case was complicated by a serous choroidal detachment, an abnormal accumulation of fluid, which ultimately led to vision loss in the left eye.

A large ulcer on her left eye was found by doctors when the woman went to the emergency room. She had to go to the hospital for three weeks with IV antibiotics, antibiotics in her eyes, and a number of surgical interventions.

A man who had severe pain and decreased vision in his right eye, went to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He said he had used artificial tears for his eye problems.

“We typically expect some degree of improvement these medications, but when we saw him two day later, he was getting far worse,” she said. “So that’s when we inquired about specifically the EzriCare tears, because we knew they were associated with resistant infection that may not respond to those really strong antibiotics.”

“At some point, he was in danger of having permanent vision loss,” said Dr. Guillermo Amescua, an ophthalmologist at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. He has a scar on the back of his eye, and it is called corneal blindness, but he might have a better chance of recovery if he were to get a transplant.

Shoji says this case highlights the short-term and long-term effects of Pseudomonas keratitis. In the short term, people may have terrible pain, decreased vision and a risk of a hole in the eye that could spread infection.

“In the long term, even after the infection is cleared, there’s a risk of needing a surgery such as a corneal transplant or other different types of surgeries to address scarring that may also significantly limit the vision,” she said.

If you have any eye symptoms, it is recommended that you see an otter for evaluation. Bring anything that could potentially be causing this infection, such as eyedrops, contact lens cases or any other item that could be putting you at risk.

Prescott says people should keep eye drops sterile. That means avoiding touching the tip of the bottle with their hands, skin or eye; not sharing the bottle with someone else; and not using expired products.

Infections are generally treated with antibiotics, but the bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to multiple drugs. The CDC does not recommend patients undergo testing for infection unless they have symptoms.