The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating a drug-resistant strain of bacteria that caused severe injuries in 68 patients including three deaths across the United States, loss of vision, and cases where people’s eyeballs had to be surgically removed.
According to news reports, CDC says most of the patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa reported using artificial tears or eye drops. Ten different brands of ophthalmic drugs were involved in these cases, but the most common was Ezri Care Artificial Tears, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers to stop purchasing last month.
Tainted Products
The CDC confirmed a matching strain of bacteria in opened bottles of the product and has said it will test unopened bottles to test whether the contamination occurred during the manufacturing process. The FDA said in February that EzriCare’s parent company, India-based Global Pharma Healthcare, had failed to provide appropriate microbial testing of its over-the-counter eye product.
The same was true of another of the company’s products, Delsam Pharma Artificial Eye Ointment, which the company recalled soon afterward. FDA officials said Global Pharma failed to use adequate, tamper-evident packaging and distributed the drugs without proper preservatives.
Permanent Vision Problems
In the meantime, several patients are reporting that they have suffered serious, irreversible eye problems because of the contaminated eye drops and the resulting eye infections. Renee Martray of South Carolina said she suffered severe and permanent corneal scarring resulting in vision loss. She says it’s like “trying to peer through eyeglasses that have been dipped in oil.”
Nancy Montz of Ohio developed a corneal ulcer and spent three weeks in the hospital and vision loss in her left eye. Carla Oliva of Florida developed a severe eye infection and had to have her right eye removed. She is now legally blind. The women said their problems began after they used EzriCare Artificial Tears.
Since the beginning of its investigation, the CDC has identified 68 people in 16 states with infections of a rare strain of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa that had never been reported in the United States. So far, there have been three deaths, eight cases of vision loss and four surgical eye removals, according to the CDC.
Harrowing Experiences
The 68-year-old Oliva said she was given EzriCare artificial tears for dry eyes from a medical center in Hialeah, Florida, in May. After using the drops for two months, she woke up Aug. 1 with burning, itchiness, redness, and tearing in her right eye. Her ophthalmologist prescribed her antibiotics, but her symptoms only worsened.
It wasn’t until that doctors found a large ulcer in her eye. Her infection did not respond to strong medications and despite an attempted corneal transplant, doctors couldn’t save Oliva’s eye. Because she did not know about the investigation until after she lost her eye, she continued to use the drops, she told CNN.
Oliva said she has had to learn how to walk again because of new problems with stability. She also has trouble driving, working or performing everyday tasks such as going to the grocery store, Oliva said.
Martray, 48, had a similar story. She bought the eye drops at a store in South Carolina last summer. She started having pain, swelling, blurry vision, burning and redness after a month of using the drops. Her infection did not respond to antibiotics either. She was eventually diagnosed with severe, permanent, corneal scarring. Martray said her condition left her so severely depressed that she did not even want to leave the house.
Martray said she was shocked because she has always trusted these products because they come in sealed bottles. She said she is having frequent migraines from straining her eyes and can no longer do things she previously enjoyed such as baking or crafts. Both Oliva and Martray are seeking to hold the companies accountable for their negligence – in selling a contaminated product.
Product Liability Issues
This is an egregious case where these defective products have caused catastrophic injuries to consumers. Loss of vision – regardless of how and at what age it happens – is devastating and has a direct impact on an individual’s well-being and quality of life. As is evident from the stories of these victims, such injuries, in addition to having physical effects, also have psychological impacts leading to depression and anxiety. Product manufacturers have a responsibility and a legal obligation to market and sell products that are safe for consumers.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious health effects as a result of using these eye drops, it is important that you contact an experienced product defect lawyer to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights. Injured victims in such cases may be able to seek compensation for all medical expenses, lost income, permanent injuries, disabilities, cost of psychological treatment, past and future pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Families of deceased victims may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit seeking compensation for their tremendous losses as well.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/24/health/eye-infection-patients/index.html
