Invasive Mycobacterium chimaera infections after open-heart surgery have been reported internationally. These devastating infections result from aerosols generated by contaminated heater-cooler units used with extracorporeal circulation during surgery. Despite intensified cleaning and disinfection, surveillance samples from factory-new units acquired during 2014 grew nontuberculous mycobacteria after a median of 174 days.
Keywords: Mycobacterium chimaera; bacteria; disinfection; heater–cooler units; hospital equipment; hospital infections; nontuberculous mycobacterial infections; nosocomial infections; tuberculosis and other mycobacteria.