Audience: Ophthalmologists, operating room supervisory staff and other healthcare professionals
[Posted 02/14/2006] FDA notified healthcare professionals and
patients of the request for recall of all brands and sizes of
Balanced Salt Solution (BSS) manufactured by Cytosol Laboratories,
Inc. because product lots were found to have elevated and dangerous
levels of endotoxin. BSS is a drug used by health professionals to
irrigate a patient’s eyes, ears, nose and/or throat during a
variety of surgical procedures including cataract surgery. FDA has
received reports of a serious and potentially irreversible eye
injury called Toxic Anterior Segment Syndrome (TASS) which occurs
when a contaminant, such as endotoxin, enters the anterior segment
of the eye during surgery and causes an inflammatory
reaction. FDA has also received complaints relating to
injuries in over 300 patients who were given BSS manufactured by
Cytosol Laboratories The BSS products subject to the recall order
were manufactured by Cytosol Laboratories, Inc. for distribution
under three labels:
"AMO Endosol" distributed by Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.
(AMO), Santa Ana, Calif.;
"Cytosol Ophthalmics" distributed by Cytosol Ophthalmics, Lenoir,
NC; and
"Akorn" distributed by Akorn, Inc., Buffalo Grove, Ill.