Health care professionals are investigating the recent outbreak caused by a rare strain of bacteria that contaminated eye drops during the manufacturing process. The bacterium “Pseudomonas aeruginosa” is resistant to powerful antibiotics and causes severe injuries and infections to eyedrop users.
As of March 14, 2023, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported a total of:
- 68 infections, including
- 8 cases of vision loss
- Four eye-removal surgeries
- And three deaths
The manufacturing company Global Pharma Healthcare has been cooperative in the FDA’s request to recall their artificial tears and eye ointment products. The products were manufactured in India and sold by Ezricare and Delsam Pharma, based in New Jersey and New York.
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What Kind of Side Effects Are People Experiencing From the Recalled Eye Drops?
Don’t panic yet just because you use eye drops. The clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology announced that only users of the specific recalled brands should be concerned. Click here for more information about which brands were recalled.
Currently known adverse events of the eye drop use include:
- Corneal infection
- Bloodstream infection
- Respiratory tract infection
- And urinary tract infection
Details of People Who Have Experienced Vision Problems After Using Recalled Eye Drops
JAMA Ophthalmology has been looking deeper into the cases of people with vision problems after using recalled eye drops. They have provided extensive detail but how their vision problems developed.
72-Year Old Woman, Vision Loss (Serous Choroidal Detachment)
A 72-year old woman had vision in one eye after using EzriCare artificial tears. She initially started using the drops to relieve dry eyes and continued using them for about one week.
After a few days, she started to experience blurred vision in her left eye. While it was initially painless, she soon started to experience yellow discharge.
She finally went to the emergency room when she saw the appearance of her eye start to change. Doctors found a massive ulcer on her left cornea that nearly overtook the entire eye by the time she got there. The woman was hospitalized for three weeks, requiring extensive medical treatment, including antibiotic IV, medicated eye drops, and multiple surgeries.
The woman is now blind in her left eye.
72-Year Old Man, Infection of the Cornea (Keratitis)
Another 72-year old man developed drug-resistant keratitis after using TriCare artificial tears to relieve dry eyes. He developed a corneal infection that was so severe he experienced vision problems bordering on blindness.
The man sought treatment at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami for pain in his eye. He was found to have a severe corneal infection in his right eye and had severely impaired vision. The man could only see shadows and could not make out letters.
The doctors started him on strong antibiotic treatment but did not see any improvement at all. In fact, his condition worsened after starting antibiotics. That’s when they found out he was using EzriCare tears, which has been recalled for contamination with a drug-resistant bacteria.
The man eventually ended up with 20/400, which means he can only see as far as 20 feet what normal vision can see up to 400 feet. Doctors say he was in danger of permanent vision loss and now has corneal blindness, and will most likely need a corneal transplant.
How a Florida Product Liability Lawyer Can Help You
The recalled eye drops have the propensity to cause horrible pain, infection, and holes in the eye that cause permanent vision loss. Our product recall lawyers can help you if you sustained injuries from recalled eye drops. You may be eligible to file a product liability claim and hold the right parties accountable for your damages.
If you experienced permanent vision loss, we may be able to help you help you get financial recovery for current and future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, scarring, disfigurement, and more. Furthermore, you could receive financial compensation for your injuries.
For more information about the recalled eye drops and how we can help you, visit our page here.
