
If you or your teen are having eye discharge or discomfort, check your eye drop bottle, because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is receiving reports of serious adverse reactions.
You should stop using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears immediately until further notice, the CDC announced. The outbreak of an extensively drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been reported in 16 states (including NJ) and these eyedrops are a common source of exposure.
Since May 2022, 37 patients from four healthcare facilities reported issues. Three people have died, eight people reported vision loss and four needed their eyeball surgically removed.
Patients are complaining of an eye infection, with symptoms such as yellow, green or clear discharge from the eye; eye pain or discomfort; redness of the eye or eyelid; the feeling that something is in your eye; increased sensitivity to light; and blurry vision. The bacteria may also cause infections of the cornea, bloodstream, respiratory tract and urinary tract.
Although the people filing complaints reported using more than 10 different brands of artificial tears – and some patients used multiple brands – EzriCare Artificial Tears, which is a preservative-free, over-the-counter product packaged in multidose bottles – was the brand most commonly reported, according to the CDC. It was also the only common product identified across the four healthcare facility clusters.
Ask your eye doctor for recommendations about alternative options.
Patients who have used EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s artificial tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection should seek medical care immediately. If you’re having any problems, you should report them to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program or by contacting FDA’s Consumer Complaint Coordinators.
Information provided by EzriCare does not call for a recall at this time, but you can download a form to submit to Delsam Pharma for their recall.
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