Post Surgical Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium: A Case Series

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Infections

Background:

• Reports of human non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are increasing.
• Surgeons are concerned about the potential link between NTM and surgical site infections (SSIs).
• The prevalence of NTM as a cause of SSIs remains challenging to ascertain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the occurrence of NTM infections following various surgical procedures.
• To determine the incidence of NTM in post-surgical wound infections.
• To identify NTM species and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study was conducted over two years at a tertiary care hospital in central India.
• Six out of 25 post-surgical wound infections were identified as NTM.
• Species identification utilized Ziehl-Neelsen staining, Auramine O-Rhodamine fluorescence staining, Multiplex Real-Time PCR, and Genotyping.

Main Results:

• M. fortuitum, M. chelonae, and M. kansasii were each isolated in two cases.
• All NTM isolates demonstrated 100% sensitivity to Clarithromycin.
• One patient required amikacin in addition to clarithromycin for prolonged healing.

Conclusions:

• Non-tuberculous mycobacteria represent an uncommon but significant cause of post-surgical infections.
• Accurate identification of NTM species using sensitive diagnostic techniques is crucial.
• Developing appropriate therapeutic regimens is essential to manage this increasing healthcare challenge.