More concerns over eye infections caused by contaminated eye drops
NEW YORK - There are more concerns over eye infections caused by contaminated eye drops in our area.
It's a big eye-opener if you're an eye drop user.
"Over-the-counter Artificial Tears has been contaminated, and has been unfortunately linked to some devastating complications of infections in the eye," said Dr. Matthew Gorski, ophthalmologist at Northwell Health.
Those devastating complications can include loss of vision, blindness, in some cases removal of the eye, and even worse - death.
Even the strongest antibiotic couldn't help save the eye of a patient on Long Island.
"We had a case here of somebody who had this multi-drug resistant infection that was later linked to the artificial tears. Unfortunately the patient lost vision, and ultimately lost the eye," Gorski said.
According to the CDC, EzriCare and Artificial Tears have been linked to 68 people in 16 states, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Other states include California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.
In Connecticut, health officials say the highly drug-resistant bacteria spread from person to person at a long-term care center.
"If you have one of these, you have to be really careful with isolating and not rubbing the eyes, and trying to avoid towels, and don't share pillows," Gorski said.
Symptoms include eye pain or discomfort, redness of the eye or eyelid, feeling like something is in your eye, increased sensitivity to light, blurry vision, and/or discharge or mucus from the eye.
According to the FDA, the eyedrops were made in a factory in India.
The U.S. has since stopped importing the product.
And, the CDC and infectious disease specialists are also investigating the contamination.
"The good news is that these types of infections are very, very rare," Gorski said.
Doctors say if you're experiencing any symptoms, you're urged to seek medical care immediately and contact the FDA.
Retailers have been asked to remove the eyedrops from shelves.