Outbreak of extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa associated with artificial tears
“Pseudomonas in artificial tears is a disaster as this leads to permanent corneal ulceration, corneal scarring, impaired vision, and even blindness. Not only does this effect the eyes but in nursing home patient with wounds it can cause multi-drug resistant infections. I hate to think of all the patients who will need treatment with intravenous Colistin IV antibiotics as the complications from this antibiotic are serious,” states Greg Vigna, MD, JD, national pharmaceutical injury attorney and malpractice attorney.
EziCare Artificial Tears and other brands of artificial tears, used for the common medical condition of dry eyes, has been contaminated with “extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa” as per a Health Alert Network Advisory from the CDC to the States. Pseudomonas is a very dangerous gram negative bacteria known to cause soft tissue, pulmonary, and urinary tract infections and when drug resistant is very difficult to treat. It is causing injuries in at least 12 states and is associated with more than 10 different brands of artificial tears with a majority of them in patients using EziCare Artificial Tears.
“Pseudomonas in artificial tears is a disaster as this leads to permanent corneal ulceration, corneal scarring, impaired vision, and even blindness. ” — Greg Vigna, M.D., J.D.
Dr. Greg Vigna, national pharmaceutical injury attorney, continues, “We are investigating both eye injuries and other infections caused by this outbreak. I have extensive experience in dealing with multi-drug resistant gram-negative infections including Pseudomonas and the treatments for these organisms are both dangerous and necessary. If you are infected in the eye, you can contaminate other people with this very dangerous organism.”
Dr. Vigna adds, “Ten years ago, I started using Colistin to save patients with multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter who had chronic Grade III and Grade IV decubitus ulcers. We would start Colistin one or two days prior to flap closure of these wound and the plastic surgeon would debride and remove all the infected dead bone and provide flap closure of the wounds and we would hope that we could clear the infection with IV Colistin prior to the patient having potentially deadly side-effects of renal failure and neurological injury. I hate to think nursing home patients with wounds are getting infected with this Multi-drug Resistant Pseudomonas brought to them by way of eye drops.”
Dr. Vigna adds, “Any person with eye redness, pain, green drainage, fever, light sensitivity, blurred vision, or other eye irritation who uses artificial tears must be checked immediately for the following medical conditions that can cause or lead to life-time visual impairments:
- Corneal ulcer
- Keratitis
- Conjunctivitis
- Corneal scarring
- Pink eye
- Bacterial conjunctivitis
- Recurrent Stye
Minor vision loss is a serious injury. Blindness is heartbreaking. Man-made blindness from a drug manufacturers negligence and defective medical product requires justice and money compensation.”
Dr. Vigna is a California and Washington DC lawyer who focuses on neurological injuries and is a national pharmaceutical injury attorney. Co-counsel Ben Martin is a national pharmaceutical injury attorney in Dallas, Texas. The lawyers represent clients injured from pharmaceutical companies across the country.
Click here to talk with Dr. Vigna.
Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657015/
Greg Vigna, MD, JD
Vigna Law Group
+1 800-761-9206
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