Alberta man contracts rare infection from faulty device used in open-heart surgery quoting : The Globe and Mail

The likelihood of developing the infection after open-heart surgery with the device is between one in 100 and one in 1,000, Dr. Joffe said. It is curable with multiple antibiotics taken over a long period of time and, in some cases, further surgery, Dr. Joffe said. Bacteria can leak from the water reservoir into the operating room's air, endangering patients, Dr. Joffe said. "This is a world-wide problem."Britain's LivaNova PLC manufactured the defective heater-cooler units, Dr. Joffe said, and dominated the global market. About 3,000 people have open-heart surgery in Alberta every year.




An Alberta patient who received open heart surgery about two years ago has been diagnosed with a slow-developing, though still dangerous, bacterial infection linked to faulty equipment used during the procedure. Alberta Health Services announced the case of Mycobacterium chimaera on Tuesday, believed to be the province's first such infection related to cardiac surgery. Numerous jurisdictions around the world that perform open heart surgery have been diagnosing infections, though the only other cases recorded in Canada have been in Quebec. The health authority said the case came to their attention following an announcement last December to warn patients about the potential risk of exposure. Joffe described Mycobacterium chimaera as a "very serious infection" that can occasionally lead to death, in part because its victims typically have underlying heart issues.

Bacterial infection confirmed in Alberta heart surgery patient

Alberta Health Services confirmed Tuesday that an adult open heart surgery patient had been confirmed to have a bacterial infection, after being exposed during surgery. In this case, AHS said the individual was diagnosed with infection connected to an open heart surgery procedure performed in Alberta. AHS said the patient had surgery about a year to 18 months before symptoms, and the symptoms continued for several months, officials said the patient received treatment but ultimately had to have more heart surgery. The patient received one of the letters sent out by AHS, developed symptoms of infection and brought it up with their healthcare provider. Back in December, 2016, AHS notified about 11,500 former open heart surgery patients over the possible risk of infection, due to potential exposure to Mycobacterium Chimaera through heater cooler units that are used in cardiac procedures.


collected by :Lucy William
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VIRUSES and INFECTIONS