Contact lens users put on alert

Dubai: Eye doctors here are warning contact lens wearers using a lens solution under fire in the US to be on alert for a rare blindness-causing infection.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety alert on Advanced Medical Options Complete MoisturePlus-No Rub contact lens solution, after the Atlanta-based Centres for Disease Control confirmed 138 cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis, an extremely rare but serious infection caused by a parasite, among users of the solution.

AMO voluntarily recalled their product from the US.

Nasty organism

Dr Moza Dekhain, consultant ophthalmologist at Dubai Hospital, told Gulf News that there was no evidence that UAE contact lens users were in danger of the infection, but added it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Take care of your eye-care hygiene. Change cases frequently and if you experience any pain or are in any doubt, consult your doctor immediately. Acanthamoeba is a nasty organism," she said.

She added that no cases have been reported so far, unlike last year involving Bausch and Lomb's Renu MoisturePlus contact lens solution and the Fusarium keratitis bug, which saw a few people in Dubai with the infection.

Dr Anwar Sajwani, consultant ophthalmologist at Dubai Laser Eye and Research Centre, advised it might be better for some consumers to err on the side of caution and not use any of the solution until the product has been cleared by the FDA and the CDC.

Company assurance

"We're talking about people going blind. It's not some minor problem that can be easily treated," he said.

"The company [and] the UAE Ministry of Health must be able to absolutely guarantee the safety of the solution first," he added.

Ministry of Health officials confirmed that they were aware of the FDA alert but have not taken any decision as yet.

Ayman Ramzy, AMO's representative in the UAE denied that consumers here were at risk from the product, saying that the affected items came from a manufacturing plant from China.

"There is no need to withdraw or throw away the solution. The problem is nothing related to the formula," he said, adding that the contact lens solutions in the UAE and Qatar were from a factory in Spain.

The business manager for AMO in the UAE and Qatar, also said that they would be distributing a circular to all pharmacists and clients, assuring them of the safety of the product.

Guarding against infection

FDA issued a set of guidelines to guard against infection: 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 them before handling contact lenses. Clean contact lenses according to manufacturer guidelines and instructions from an eye care professional.

Use fresh cleaning or disinfecting solution each time lenses are cleaned and stored. Never reuse or top off old solution.

Never use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Schedule regular eye exams with your eye care professional.

Store lenses in a proper storage case. Storage cases should be irrigated 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.

I hope we will all take necessary steps to avoid such eye infections. Thanks to Gulf News for bringing this matter to public notice.
Rafi
Dubai,UAE

Eyes are a sensitive part of a human body, we should be very careful while using lenses.It?s better to keep the safety measures in mind as even a slight negligence from our side could result in dangerous eye infections.
Rumi
Sharjah,UAE

It?s the same story like last year which happened with Renu solution. First, the product is recalled in US and then the local agents keep saying that the product used is from the factory in China, Italy etc. I really thank Gulf News for the excellent alerts regarding eye infections caused by these solutions and credit should go to the reporter Miss Nina Muslim for being persistent with the reporting.
Preetha
Sharjah,UAE