Response to Alert on Possible Infections with Mycobacterium chimaera From Contaminated Heater-Cooler Devices in Hospitals Participating in the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP)

Dominik Mertz; Jennifer Macri; Susy Hota; Kanchana Amaratunga; Ian Davis; Lynn Johnston; Bonita Lee; Linda Pelude; Michelle Science; Stephanie Smith; Alice Wong; Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP)

doi:10.1017/ice.2018.24

Response to Alert on Possible Infections with Mycobacterium chimaera From Contaminated Heater-Cooler Devices in Hospitals Participating in the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP)

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2018 Apr;39(4):482-484. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.24. Epub 2018 Feb 28.

Affiliations

¹ 1Departments of Medicine,Health Research Methods,Evidence and Impact,and Pathology and Molecular Medicine,McMaster University,Hamilton,Ontario,Canada.
² 3Dalla Lana School of Public Health,University of Toronto,Toronto,Ontario,Canada.
³ 4Infection Prevention and Control Department,University Health Network,Toronto Ontario,Canada.
⁴ 6Center for Communicable Diseases and Infection Control,Public Health Agency of Canada,Ottawa,Ontario,Canada.
⁵ 8Division of Infectious Diseases,Department of Medicine,Dalhousie University,Halifax,Nova Scotia,Canada.
⁶ 10Division of Infectious Diseases,Department of Pediatrics,University of Alberta,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada.
⁷ 12Division of Infectious Diseases,The Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto,Ontario,Canada.
⁸ 11Infection Prevention and Control,Alberta Health Services,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada.
⁹ 15Infection Prevention and Control,Saskatoon Health Region,Saskatoon,Saskatchewan,Canada.

PMID: 29488454
DOI: 10.1017/ice.2018.24

Abstract

Canadian hospitals were made aware of the risk of Mycobacterium chimaera infection associated with heater-cooler units (HCUs) through alerts issued by the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response, most hospitals conducted retrospective reviews for infections, informed exposed patients, and initiated a requirement for informed consent with HCU use. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:482-484.

MeSH terms

Air Conditioning / instrumentation*
Canada / epidemiology
Cross Infection* / epidemiology
Cross Infection* / etiology
Cross Infection* / microbiology
Cross Infection* / prevention & control
Equipment Contamination* / prevention & control
Equipment Contamination* / statistics & numerical data
Equipment and Supplies, Hospital / microbiology
Equipment and Supplies, Hospital / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Infection Control* / methods
Infection Control* / organization & administration
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous* / epidemiology
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous* / etiology
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous* / microbiology
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous* / prevention & control
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / isolation & purification*