NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some eye drops have been recalled after they were linked to death and eyeball removals due to a bacterial infection.
At Optique in Nashville, Dr. Jeffrey Sonsino has been staying up to date on the artificial tears recall. He’s the past chair of the American Optometric Association’s Contact Lens and Cornea Section.
"Well, this is scary. I mean, for patients who don’t know which drops to use, they go to the pharmacy, and there’s a whole row of drops," Sonsino said.
The CDC and FDA are investigating a 16-state outbreak of drug-resistant bacteria linked to eye drops. This strain hadn't been reported in the United States until now.
"This is extremely concerning, luckily there are no cases reported in Tennessee, but obviously this is a big problem for a company that may have not done things the correct way," Sonsino said.
It's recommended to stop using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma's Artificial Tears products by Global Pharma Healthcare.
"They were using a bottle that was not approved to be used with a non-preserved drop," Sonsino said.
There have been 68 infected patients. According to the CDC, there has been one death reported, and there have been eight reports of vision loss, and four eyeball removals.
"The safe way is to use a single bottle non-preserved drop," Sonsino said.
Fortunately, for one of his patients, he doesn't use the drops.
"Obviously it’s a concern but not a concern for me," patient Dr. John Endsley said.
There's also a couple of companies who voluntarily recalled their drops out of an abundance of caution.
"The best advice always is to consult your optometrist before you make a purchase of drops," Sonsino said.
Eye infection symptoms may include eye discharge, eye pain, redness of the eye, feeling of something in your eye, light sensitivity, and blurry vision.
The CDC is in the process of testing unopened bottles to see if there was a hiccup during manufacturing too.
