Articles related to EYE DISEASES

In a follow-up to a previous article on HCN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently updated their website to report that 68 patients across 16 states have been identified with a rare and drug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa called VIM-GES-CRPA (Verona integron-mediated metallo-β-lactamase). This strain is particularly concerning as it is difficult to treat with standard antibiotics. As a precaution, the CDC and FDA are recommending that clinicians and patients avoid using EzriCare or Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears products until further guidance is issued. Optometrists are advised to stay informed about the situation and to follow the CDC and FDA’s recommendations to ensure the safety of their patients.

The every-other-month intra-ocular injection shows a reduction in lesion growth that increases over time. The ocular formulation of the drug, previously approved for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, should be available in specialty pharmacies in March 2023.

AvaGenTM is the first personalized genetic eye test that quantifies the risk of keratoconus and the presence of TGFBI corneal dystrophies based on gene variants. AvaGen provides a valuable tool for early and accurate decision-making that protects patients’ and their families’ vision.

Keratoconus is a multifactorial disease that can have serious consequences for a patient’s mental health, quality of life, and finances. In order to provide patients with the most accurate and relevant resources available, providers must educate themselves on the condition and information available to patients via social media and other outlets. More can be done to advance early detection, visual rehabilitation, and the development of patient and provider education resources as more is learned about the precise etiology of keratoconus.

Infection patients reported using more than ten different brands of artificial tears, and some patients used multiple brands. The majority of patients who used artificial tears said they used EzriCare Artificial Tears, an over-the-counter, preservative-free product packaged in multidose bottles. The outbreak strain was found in opened EzriCare bottles with different lot numbers collected from two states, according to CDC laboratory testing.

After watching or listening to this CME activity hosted by Cynthia Matossian, MD, FACS, Founder and Medical Director at Matossian Eye Associates in Hopewell, NJ, and Jillian Ziemanski, OD, PhD, FAAO, Clinical Assistant Professor at the UAB School of Optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, ophthalmologists and optometrists should be better equipped to analyze clinical trial data supporting the safety and effectiveness of device therapy to treat meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).