Contact Solution Linked to Nasty Eye Infection Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Beware contact lens wearers. If you’re using AMO Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose Solution, be aware that it’s been linked to a rare eye infection.

Government officials from the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are looking into 138 confirmed cases, and in the meantime, it is recommended that anyone using the solution throw the bottle away, along with your lenses and contacts case. All three of these may contain the infecting amoeba.

The solution is apparently a factor in the occurrence of a nasty infection called Acanthamoeba keratitis. It is a painful eye infection which can lead to serious problems such as permanent vision loss and total blindness. Advanced Medical Optics Inc., the company that makes the solution, has issued a “voluntary recall.” Confirmed cases have been reported as far back as January of 2005.

Eighty-five percent of Acanthamoeba keratitis cases are in contact users, but normally it's extremely unusual. However, even contact users who are conscientious about their lens care can contract it, as well as non-contact wearers.

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Advanced Medical Optics Sued Due to Rare Eye Infection Acanthamoeba Keratitis

A San Diego man Michael Connolly, an engineering systems analyst, contracted acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection that can cause pain and blindness. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court, claims Advanced Medical Optics made a defective product and failed to warn consumers.

Connolly has not recovered from the infection and may need surgery. He is almost legally blind in one eye, .

Complete Moisture Plus Multi-Purpose solution was recalled May 25 after federal regulators found people who used the solution had a greater risk of acquiring a rare eye infection.

AMO spokesman Steve Chesterman declined to comment today.

Howevever In the past, the company has said there were no manufacturing or contamination problems and blamed improper use by consumers.

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If anyone has experienced eye problems, call AMO at 1-800-347-5005 and the Food and Drug Administration at 1-800-332-1088.

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Contact Lens Solution Withdrawn from UAE Market

A multi-purpose contact lens solution, which has been linked to a blindness-causing parasitic infection, has been withdrawn from the UAE market as part of a worldwide initiative.

Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose contact lens solution, made by Advanced Medical Optics, has been linked to 138 confirmed cases in the United States of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an extremely rare but serious microbial infection.

Abu Dhabi-Health Authority banned the contact lens solution in the emirate on Wednesday. Representatives of the company in the UAE began withdrawing the solution voluntarily in the rest of the country on the same day.

Dr Mohammad Abu Al Khair, acting head of drugs ad medical products department in AD-HA, told Gulf News that they instituted the forced recall for the product "based on recommendations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centres of Disease Control (CDC)".

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CDC identified outbreak of a serious eye infection called Acanthamoeba

Acanthamoeba keratitis is caused by a free-living ameba (Acanthamoeba) a microscopic organism found everywhere in nature.

Infections can result in permanent visual impairment or blindness. AK primarily affects otherwise healthy people, most of whom wear contacts lenses. In the United States, an estimated 85% of cases of this infection occur in contact lens users.

The incidence of the disease in the U.S. is approximately one to two cases per million contact lens users. CDC has received reports of 138 cases of culture-confirmed AK in 35 states and Puerto Rico, with complete patient data available for 46 case-patients. Thirty-nine of the 46 case-patients wore soft contact lenses.

Preliminary information obtained by CDC from patient interviews indicates that, among soft contact lens users who reported the use of any type of solution, 21 (58%) reported having used Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution in the month prior to symptom onset. Out of the 37 case-patients for whom clinical data was available, 9 (24%) failed medical therapy and required or are expected to undergo corneal transplantation.

Based on these findings people who wear soft contact lenses who use Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Compete MoisturePlus Solution should:

• Stop using the product immediately and discard all remaining solution including partially used or unopened bottles. Choose and alternative contact lens solution.
• Discard current lens storage container.
• Discard current pair of soft lenses.
• See a health care provider if experiencing any signs of eye infection: Eye pain, eye redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, sensation of something in the eye, or excessive tearing.
• All contact lens users should closely follow prevention measures to help prevent eye infections, which include See an eye care professional for regular eye examinations.
• Wear and replace contact lenses according to the schedule prescribed by an eye care professional.
• Remove contact lenses before any activity involving contact with water including showering, using a hot tub, or swimming.
• Wash hands with soap and water and dry before handling contact lenses.
• Clean contacts lenses according to the manufacturer's guidelines and instructions from an eye care professional.
• Use fresh cleaning or disinfecting solutions and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither solution is an effective or approved disinfectant.
• Never use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither solution is an effective or approved disinfectant.
• Store reusable lenses in the proper storage case.
• Storage cases should be rinsed with sterile contact lens solution (never use tap water) and left open to dry after each use.
• Replace storage cases at least once every three months.

Clinicians evaluating contact lens users with symptoms of eye pain or redness, tearing, decreased visual acuity, discharge, sensitivity to light, or foreign body sensation should consider AK and refer the patient to an ophthalmologist. Early diagnosis can greatly improve treatment efficacy.

Clinicians or microbiology laboratories should report cases of AK to state and local health departments or directly to CDC at telephone, 770- 488-7775.

Source: emaxhealth

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Update: Complete MoisturePlus Contact Lens Solution Causing Acanthamoeba Keratitis

Complete MoisturePlus Contact Lens Solution, manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics, is used for cleaning and storage purposes for soft contact lenses. The solution recently has been found by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to cause a seven-fold increase in a rare eye infection, Acanthamoeba keratitis, affecting those who use it. The infection is very serious and can lead to blindness or corneal infections in those who are exposed to the bacteria.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this year began receiving numerous complaints about outbreaks of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection caused by microscopic parasites that literally infest the human eye.

In evaluating the Acanthamoeba keratitis outbreak, the CDC identified 138 confirmed cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis in the United States, with complete data available for 46 case-patients. Thirty-nine of the 46 case-patients wore soft contact lenses. Among the soft contact lens users 58% reported having used Advanced Medical Optics (AMO) Complete MoisturePlus Multi-Purpose Solution in the month prior to manifestation of symptoms. CDC released a Health Advisory through its Health Alert Network on May 25 of this year, informing contact lens wearers that they should discard all Moisture Plus solution and any lenses or lens cases that came in contact with Moisture Plus lens solution.

If not controlled in time, the infection can permanently blind its victim by scarring or tearing the cornea, which is responsible for about 80 percent of a person's vision. Such victims will need a cornea transplant if they are to ever see clearly again. This is an extremely dangerous infection. If you haven't stopped using Complete MoisturePlus Contact Lens Solution then do so immediately. This is the second major eye infection outbreak after Fusarium Keratitis last year.

According to CDC users of MoisturePlus should:

1. stop using the product immediately and contact the company at 1-888-899-9183 or on the web at http://www.amo-inc.com for instructions on what to do with unused solution;
2. discard all soft contact lenses used with AMOCMP;
3. discard all contact lens storage cases used with AMOCMP; and
4. consult their eye care provider about choosing an alternative contact lens solution.

Furthermore, they should visit their eye care provider if they experience any signs of eye infection, including eye pain or redness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, sensation of something in the eye, or excessive tearing.

This is the second major outbreak of rare fungal infection after Fusarium Keratitis which is caused by contact lens solutions. Is it merely a coincidence? I think the safety regulation compliance of factories of contact lens cleaner solution manufacturers like Bausch & Lomb and Advanced Medical Optics are not being properly monitored. Should be regulations be more stringent or the enforcement? I think the enforcement may be at lapse here.

There are several ongoing lawsuits against AMO with some seeking class action status. We will keep you updated.

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AMO Will Begin Shipping Contact Lens Solution After Acanthamoeba Keratitis Outbreak

Advanced Medical Optics Inc. said that it plans to begin shipping a new multipurpose contact lens solution in the first half of next month, returning to the market after recalling its Complete MoisturePlus contact lens solution in May due to significantly increased risk for severe eye infection - Acanthamoeba Keratitis, which can completely damage the cornea requiring corneal transplant.

AMO said its new product would provide effective disinfection and comfort to users. AMO plans to make the new solution widely available to consumers in the United States by early September.

On May 27, AMO recalled Complete MoisturePlus after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) interviewed 46 patients with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare but serious cornea infection, and found that of the 39 who wore soft contact lenses, 21 used Complete MoisturePlus.

The most recent recall followed AMO's November recall of almost 3 million units of Complete MoisturePlus solution due to sterility problems.

What consumers would like most from AMO is concrete assurances that the current product will be free from the risk of eye infections and exactly what steps they have taken to rectify the problem.

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