These are the eye drop products that have been recalled due to contamination fears – after they blinded half a dozen and killed three
A flurry of US deaths and blindness caused by contaminated eyedrops has caused panic nationwide.
Nationwide, 68 people have been robbed of their vision by contaminated eyedrops, including two women whose cases were confirmed Friday.
Artificial tears manufactured by EzriCare were confirmed to be contaminated with P. aeruginosa, a deadly bacteria that is usually found only in hospitals. Others were recalled for risk of the contamination, but nothing was confirmed.
In three people have died, four have had eyes removed and eight have lost their vision.
Renee told CNN that she now has severe and permanent corneal scarring which has resulted in vision loss, and that she can only partially see now using glasses that feel as though they’ve been dipped in oil
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)
Artificial Tears by EzriCare have been recalled
- Artificial tears by EzriCare
EzriCare’s Artificial Tears were recalled in January over links to eye infections.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an urgent warning at the time over the products made by India-based Global Pharma.
Testing by the agency found the drug-resistant strain of P. aeruginosa — which usually spreads in hospitals — in open bottles collected from patients.
The droplets are at the center of dozens of eye infections across up to 16 states, with cases dating back as far back as May 2022. They include at least one fatality and several more that caused ‘permanent blindness’.
The agency still does not know whether the drops were contaminated during manufacturing or after they had left the factory.
These drops have been recalled
- Delsam’s Artificial Eye Ointment
A second recall was issued for Delsam’s Artificial Eye Ointment in February.
It was ordered due to ‘possible microbial contamination’.
The drops were being sold in stores across the country, including Walmart, Target, CVS and Amazon.
They are also made by Global Pharma, based in India.
A statement on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website reads: ‘Use of contaminated eye ointment may cause adverse events, including infection in the eye that could lead to blindness.’
They said the company had failed to adequately test its products for bacterial contamination.
These on prescription drops have been recalled
- Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution
Earlier this month Florida-based Apotex recalled six lots of its Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution eye drops.
Unlike the others, these are only available on prescription.
The recall was ordered after at least four bottle caps developed cracks, jeopardizing the sterility of the contents.
This posed a risk of potentially dangerous bacteria entering the solutions and then being inadvertently put into patients’ eyeballs. The recall was issued on March 1.
Pictured above is the eye drops label
- Purely Smoothing 15 percent MSM Drops
This month the Purely Smoothing 15 percent MSM Drops were also recalled.
This was due to their ‘non-sterility’, a statement on the FDA website read.
They were manufactured by Pharmedica USA LLC, which is based in Arizona, and had been distributed across the country.
The eye drop is used as an anti-inflammatory to assist with symptoms of ocular irritation and/or swelling.
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