The U.S. Centers for Disease Control are urging people to immediately stop using an “artificial tears” product for dry eyes after the drops were linked to bacterial infections that caused hospitalizations, vision loss and one death.
No cases of the infections have been reported in Louisiana, the state Department of Health said Thursday, but officials still urged people to stop using the drops.
The EzriCare eye drops often come in a blue package with light blue dots on the front and the product name printed on the upper left; the product bottles are often blue with a light blue top.
As of Thursday, 55 people in 12 states have been identified since last May with infections caused by a strain of a drug-resistant bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, LDH said in a statement Thursday. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating the infections.
The affected patients reported using 10 different brands of artificial tears; the majority of those with the infections reported using the EzriCare Artificial Tears, a preservative-free product, the state health department said.
“This was the only common artificial tears product identified across four healthcare facility clusters,” the department said.
The Louisiana Department of Health recommends that people:
- Discontinue use of EzriCare Artificial Tears, pending additional guidance from the Centers of Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration.
- Follow up with their physician to get an alternate product if they’ve been advised by their doctor to use the EzriCare drops.
- Seek medical care if they have used the EzriCare Artificial Tears and have signs of an eye infection, such as discharge from the eye, eye pain or discomfort, redness of the eye or eyelid, a feeling of something in the eye, increased sensitivity to light or blurry vision.
The CDC is not currently recommending testing of patients who have used this product and are not experiencing any symptoms of infection, the state Department of Health said.
