Abstract
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) commonly colonise municipal water supplies and cause healthcare-associated outbreaks. Although the infections are rare, they are associated with high mortality. Aerosolization of NTM from colonised Heater cooler devices causes invasive infections in cardiac surgery patients. These units are widely used in open-chest heart surgery as an essential part of extracorporeal circulation but have been suggested as being a risk for infection. Water disinfection as well as effective engineering-related mitigation strategies should be designed to decrease the burden of NTM in the hospital water supply. Key Words: Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, Heater cooler devices, Endocarditis, Water, Cardiothoracic surgeries.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
