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Home » Areas of Practice » Product Liability

Bausch & Lomb ReNu Contact Solution

In February 2006, Bausch & Lomb voluntarily removed ReNu multipurpose solutions from store shelves in Singapore and Hong Kong according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On April 13, 2006, Bausch & Lomb removed ReNu with MoistureLoc, a solution used for soft contact storage and cleansing, from retail stores. ReNu with MoistureLoc is believed to have a connection to numerous cases involving Fusarium keratitis--a fungal infection that can cause serious eye damage and sometimes blindness. Eight US patients had to undergo corneal transplant surgery after developing this infection.

On March 8, 2006, a New Jersey-based ophthalmologist contacted the Center for Disease Control (CDC), advising that three of his patients had contracted Fusarium keratitis. As a result, the CDC investigated 30 instances of infection and discovered 28 of the subjects were soft contact users, and 26 of them were using Bausch & Lomb's ReNu with MoistureLoc.

Prior to the US investigation, Hong Kong's government informed Bausch & Lomb that Fusarium keratitis was occurring among contact users as a result of using their multipurpose solution.

On May 15, 2006, Bausch & Lomb announced an official recall of ReNu with MoistureLoc after reviewing the results of the FDA's investigation at a conference on May 11th. The compiled data suggested that ReNu with MoistureLoc may increase vulnerability to Fusarium keratitis, provoking Bausch & Lomb to conduct permanent global recall of all ReNu with MoistureLoc merchandise.

Fusarium keratitis is a dangerous eye infection in which fungus grows into the cornea from the outside of the eye and causes scarring. This is an unusual infection normally caused by contacts with plant material; the fungus responsible for starting the infection can be found in plants and soil in tropical and subtropical areas. Additional risk factors include chronic ocular surface diseases and immunodeficiency.

Symptoms of Fusarium keratitis
  • Blurry vision
  • Redness of the eye
  • Eye discomfort or pain
  • Discharge from eye
  • Heightened sensitivity to light
  • Deteriorating vision

If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your physician.

Fusarium keratitis should be dealt with immediately with antifungal antibiotics. This treatment could last for several months. If the condition is not cared for properly or the drugs don't help, surgery may be necessary to remove fungal abrasions and execute corneal transplants.

Additional links on Fusarium keratitis:

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