Infections and outbreaks of nontuberculous mycobacteria in hospital settings

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial [NTM] infections in the hospital setting are a complex and often challenging entity. The goal of this review is to discuss diagnostic and treatment strategies for established as well as emerging nosocomial NTM infections.

NTM outbreaks have been documented in a variety of hospital settings. Contamination of medical devices or aqueous solutions is often implicated in the spread of infection. More recently, the slow grower M. chimaera has been reported in the setting of contaminated heater-cooler devices used for cardiopulmonary bypass and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. In addition, increases in medical tourism for cosmetic surgery have led to outbreaks of rapidly growing mycobacteria.

Diagnosis and treatment of nosocomial NTM pose many challenges for the clinician. Surgical resection or debridement as well as combination antimycobacterial therapy are a mainstay in therapeutic management. Strict infection control and prevention practices are critical to the identification and cessation of outbreaks.