According to a health article published on BeckersHospitalReview.com, the company that markets EzriCare Artificial Tears eyedrops has announced it was recalling all lots of its EzriCare Artificial Tears eyedrops due to potential bacterial contamination. The eyedrops were linked to a serious drug-resistant bacteria outbreak, according to a New York Times report on February 2, 2023.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging the public to immediately stop using the recalled artificial tears eye drops until further notice. So far, 55 people have been infected with the bacterium in twelve states. Of those cases, five people had suffered permanent vision loss, and one person tragically passed away due to illnesses connected with the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium.
These are the seven things to know about the issue:
- This Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain has never been found in the United States before. The bacterium is resistant to carbapenem antibiotics, and this bacteria can cause infections in the lungs, blood, and other body parts.
- The FDA stated that the recall is being extended to Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears, which is also manufactured by Global Pharma, the Indian company that makes EzriCare eye drops. Global Pharma stated that it issued the recall “out of an abundance of caution.”
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the bacteria was found in opened bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops that were gathered from patients who had and didn’t have bacterial infections. The CDC has begun testing unopened bottles of EzriCare Artificial Tears eye drops to find out if the contamination happened during manufacturing or post-sale.
- The affected eyedrops are “preservative-free,” which may explain why the eye drops cultivated the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterium.
- This bacteria strain was discovered in people in twelve U.S. states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
- 35 of the 55 cases were connected to four healthcare facility clusters, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- One person has tragically passed away due to the bacteria.
EzriCare stated that Global Pharma is cooperating with federal authorities and will continue to assist in the investigation. However, there is no current and definitive connection between the bacteria contamination and the manufacturing facility. EzriCare is a New Jersey drug company. Spokespeople from EzriCare stated that it did not manufacture its artificial tears eye drops and that the company was only responsible for designing the product’s label and marketing. EzriCare was notified of the CDC’s investigation on January 20, 2023, and the company “immediately took action to stop any further distribution or sale of EzriCare Artificial Tears.”
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