Eye drops recalled after US drug-resistant bacteria outbreak

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MIKE STOBBE

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials said Thursday a company is recalling its over-the-counter eye drops that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week sent a health alert to doctors, saying the outbreak included at least 55 people in 12 states. One died and at least five others had permanent vision loss.

The infections, including some found in blood, urine and lungs, were linked to EzriCare Artificial Tears. Many said they had used the product, which is a lubricant used to treat irritation and dryness.

The eye drops are sold under the name EzriCare and is made in India by Global Pharma Healthcare. The Food and Drug Administration said the company recalled unexpired lots of EzriCare Artificial Tears and another product, Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/new-york-city-business-health-4572be6da44f4fab4e0f691f5e37e3ed

[tonekat]

1. Just terrible!!

Apparently the screening process is not catching really bad things. My heart goes out to the victims.

[riversedge]

2. Infections were diagnosed in patients in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New

I read the article from 2 days ago and now there are MORE states listed. Be careful --


.............Infections were diagnosed in patients in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. A person in Washington died with a blood infection.

The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because the bacteria driving it are resistant to standard antibiotics.

Investigators found the bacteria were not susceptible to any antibiotics routinely tested at public health laboratories. However, a newer antibiotic named cefiderocol did seem to work.

[Warpy]

3. I suppose they didn't find a problem with others. That's a relief

because as of yesterday, they weren't sure. Some random samples probably grew bugs.

I have to wonder where they're sold, Amazon only had the Ezri Care antibotic and antifungal creams.

[appalachiablue]

7. AARP: CDC hasn't ruled out other preservative- free tears BRANDS that may be at risk for contam. #7

READ: CDC, EYE DROPS LINKED TO INFECT/DEATH *CDC HASNT RULED OUT*OTHER PRESERV. FREE TEARS BRANDS*
CDC Warns Against Using Eye Drops Linked to Infections, Death
Source: AARP

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning consumers to stop using EzriCare Artificial Tears as it investigates at least 50 bacterial infections in 11 states that have resulted in permanent vision loss, hospitalization and one death.

The type of infection linked to the drops, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is resistant to antibiotics and poses a greater threat to those who are immunocompromised. CDC testing determined the bacteria in the products was resistant to antibiotics such as carbapenem, ceftazidime and cefepime.
snip
-- Although most infections were linked to the EzriCare brand of eye drops, the **CDC hasn’t ruled out that other brands of preservative-free artificial tears may be at risk of contamination. *READ MORE + COMMENTS,
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2023/cdc-warns-eye-drops-cause-bacterial-infections.html

https://www.democraticunderground.com/114230184#post7

[Warpy]

10. Uh, watch those weasel words

artificial tears may be at risk

All preservative free drops are at risk of contamination, which is why they're in single use vials and those vials need to be discarded after they're used unless they're recapped without contamination and reused within a couple of hours.

People don't like to waste things, so "at risk of contamination" means they're left uncapped, contaminated during recapping, or left around for more than 8 hours. Drops manufactured under sterile conditions are prone to contamination by these misuses. The best policy is to use them and toss the vials, whether or not there is extra fluid in them.

I would suggest that people who can't use the single dose vials properly switch to the multi dose bottles with preservatives. Yes, they sting, but only for a nanosecond or so and the preservative maintains sterility.

[appalachiablue]

13. My corneal specialist said no to eye drops w thimerasol & other preservatives years

ago due to ocular rosacea and dry eyes. Preservatives don't sting, they inflame my eyes. So I use single dose vials of non- preser. drops carefully and other home treatment.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22265-ocular-rosacea

[Warpy]

17. Some people are going to have to take their chances

but meticulous care is essential, tossing those vials after the one use or if the tip is contaminated.

Ocular rosacea sounds particularly miserable.

[GusBob]

14. Unfortunately switching to multi-dose preserved drops can be a problem

The preservatives have been proven to make dry eyes worse, which is why they came up with preservative free solutions. Folks with k-sicca are miserable enough as it is one would not want to worsen it

Perhaps better advice would be to consider using the dry eye prescription solutions of which there are several. But they have drawbacks as well

there's even a new nasal spray for DES

[ZonkerHarris]

4. This stuff is made in India for a reason: Cheap Labor.

[Stargazer99]

5. Another example how capitalism failed and harmed people

[Hortensis]

9. It's not an example of how socialism failed because it wasn't

produced in a socialist cooperative fussing over making the assigned quotas. Come on! Think about it.

The same people and most of the same situations (including the same bacteria) would be there under both systems. Including those working people whose decisions and actions were involved in this failure.

And please don't imagine that socialism, often struggling to keep factories open and people paid at all, wouldn't be making cost-cutting decisions. Decades of history in every nation that has tried to move to economic socialism show that economic struggles are always a huge factor in its ultimate demise. And in any nation, economic struggles lead to resentful, dissatisfied workers.

[Stargazer99]

15. If workers owned the company they would make every effort to have a safe product

to make sure they stay in business. They would spend the time and money to assure their continued business

[Stargazer99]

16. In case you haven't noticed there are a lot of disgusted unhappy workers that are unionizing

capitalism isn't necessarily the answer with so much death and disability produced.

[Stargazer99]

6. How many people have to die or become disabled before the trained

monkeys (the general public) stop accepting a monetary system (capitalism) that kills and injures people with no repercussions. The owners and business/corp owners should be forbidden to be in business in any manner as a result of destroying people lives...that would cure it damn fast. But of course that will never happen as we are owned by business like cattle

[appalachiablue]

8. ++

[Hortensis]

11. Wouldn't "trained monkeys" (us) be the noble workers of a socialist state?

Extreme disrespect for citizens doesn't seem very promising for a peaceful transition to socialist realities.

If you regard yourself as cattle owned by business, that'd at least help explain spouting off here where your owners can't identify you. BUT, why would it be any different under socialism, where less socioeconomic mobility and less monetary empowerment is the norm? People don't do better work and take more pride in it if they're paid less and have less to say about it. The usual is the complete opposite.

Pelosi knew what she was talking about when she spoke of "the nexus between a strong democracy and a strong economy." She spoke of people's satisfaction in their wellbeing. There's a reason why most socialist experiments have turned into authoritarian states.

[Stargazer99]

18. The relationship between capitalist owners and the working stiff

is not a democracy but a different version of Kings and Lords

[Hortensis]

12. "Exposing Inequalities: How the Health Care System Failed in Venezuela"

Or, A Cautionary Tale from a Socialist State. Wouldn't you think in this century and with all the failed nations to study before, socialist leaders would have figured out how to keep from doing the same?

Venezuela was acknowledged for its free and quality public health care system, with robust processes in the 20th century. (Me: Before socialism.) It had high standards in epidemiological surveillance and even achieved global goals (being the first country to eliminate malaria).

But a series of restrictive public policies and government decisions deteriorated health care services. The country is incapable of responding to the ever-increasing number of patients who require assistance.

Venezuela has unequal, expensive health care, so it is very difficult for the population to cover the main services. One of the consequences can be reflected in hospital assistance: in a 47% shortage of supplies in emergencies and a 72% shortage of supplies necessary for operating rooms, according to the National Hospital Survey, which covers 40 Venezuelan public hospitals, from the first half of 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic stood out among these inequalities and deepened the only humanitarian crisis that is taking place in the Americas nowadays. These overlapping crises affect health prevention. Vaccines, which are considered the most cost-effective public health intervention, do not have an equitable distribution plan. For vaccination against COVID-19, the distribution of vaccination centers became even more unequal.

Venezuelans do not have preventive, public, and free health care services. A transformation of the system is required.

This is Prodavinci’s in-depth coverage relating to the myth of public and free health in Venezuela.

https://pulitzercenter.org/projects/exposing-inequalities-how-health-care-system-failed-venezuela