Rhode Islanders Advised To Stop Using EzriCare Artificial Tears: RIDOH

RHODE ISLAND — The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) alerted residents and health care providers Thursday that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has urged people nationwide to stop using the preservative-free EzriCare artificial tears.

Health officials said the product has been linked to cases nationwide of a strain of drug-resistant pseudomonas aeruginosa. The over-the-counter product, sold at Walmart, Amazon, and other retailers nationwide, is packaged in multi-dose bottles.

Although the product is not yet under an official recall, health officials and the product's manufacturer advised patients and health care providers to immediately discontinue using EzriCare artificial tears pending additional guidance from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

While the majority of the cases reported use of EzriCare artificial tears, more than 10 brands of artificial tears were reported to be used by the patients involved, and some reported using several different brands. CDC laboratory testing identified this bacterium in opened EzriCare bottles with different lot numbers collected from two states.

Patients had a variety of symptoms including eye infection, respiratory infection, urinary tract infection and sepsis. Health officials said vision loss resulting from cornea infection, hospitalization, and one death were also reported.

The CDC advised taking the following steps:

• Discontinue using EzriCare artificial tears pending additional guidance from CDC and FDA
• If patients were advised to use EzriCare artificial tears by their health care provider, they should follow up with their health care provider for an alternative artificial tears product to use
• Patients who used EzriCare artificial tears and who have signs or symptoms of an eye infection, such as discharge from the eye, eye pain or discomfort, redness of the eye or eyelid, feeling of something in the eye, increased sensitivity to light or blurry vision, should seek timely medical care and let your provider know that you have used this product

At of Thursday, the CDC does not recommend testing of patients who have used this product and who are not experiencing any signs or symptoms of infection.