Healthcare-associated prosthetic heart valve, aortic vascular graft, and disseminated<i>Mycobacterium chimaera</i>infections subsequent to open heart surgery

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections due to M. chimaera occurred in patients subsequent to cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation and implantation of prosthetic material. Infections became clinically apparent after a time lag of months to years. Mycobacterium chimaera infections are easily missed by routine bacterial diagnostics and outcome is poor despite long-term antimycobacterial therapy, probably because biofilm formation hinders eradication of pathogens.