A surgical heater-cooler unit has been implicated as the source for Mycobacterium chimaera infections among cardiac surgery patients in several countries. We isolated M. chimaera from heater-cooler units and patient infections in the United States. Whole-genome sequencing corroborated a risk for these units acting as a reservoir for this pathogen.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6390774PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2503.181282DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mycobacterium chimaera
8
chimaera infections
8
infections united
8
united states
8
genomic analysis
4
analysis cardiac
4
cardiac surgery-associated
4
surgery-associated mycobacterium
4
states surgical
4
surgical heater-cooler
4

Similar Publications

Mycobacterium chimaera, belonging to the Mycobacterium avium complex, is an opportunistic environmental mycobacterium which has been isolated from medical device water samples such as Heater Cooler Units (HCU). Laboratories currently use culture-based diagnostic methods to detect M. chimaera, but these take a long time to obtain results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Accurate identification of non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species is crucial for the diagnosis and appropriate management of NTM infections. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of two assays, FluoroType Mycobacteria VER 1.0 and Maldi BioTyper (MBT) Mycobacteria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study monitored 29 Maquet heater-cooler units (HCUs) over a 63-month period to track the presence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in response to the replacement of LivaNova devices due to contamination concerns.
  • Results showed a significant increase in NTM positivity, particularly after three years, with 100% of HCU40 and 62% of HU35 devices colonized, primarily by Mycobacterium gordonae.
  • The findings indicate that current disinfection methods using chloramine-T are insufficient, highlighting the need for improved device safety designs and new disinfection protocols.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A 54-year-old woman with a chronic blood disorder was hospitalized due to swollen lymph nodes and was initially treated for potential lymphoma and other infections without success.
  • A biopsy revealed signs of granulomatous lymphadenitis resembling tuberculosis, prompting anti-TB treatment despite no isolation of the pathogen.
  • After 9 months with no improvement, subsequent tests identified a non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection, leading to effective treatment and resolution of symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

(MC), a member of the complex, can cause infections in patients after open-heart surgery due to contaminated heater-cooler units (HCUs). The transmission route of HCU-related MC infection is non-inhalational, and infection can occur in patients without previously known immune deficiency. Patients may develop endocarditis of the prosthetic valve, infection of the vascular graft, and/or manifestations of disseminated mycobacterial infection (splenomegaly, arthritis, hepatitis, nephritis, myocarditis, etc.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!