Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria

FDA

Deadly Bacterial Infection Linked To Machine Used During Heart Surgeries

Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria are among the germs that just are just sort of everywhere and don’t do much harm to people. The exception, though, is when they gain access to a person’s chest cavity or an artificial heart valve, and can be deadly. The bacteria get there by hitching a ride from a piece of surgical equipment, and patients generally aren’t warned that this is a risk during operations involving the heater-cooler machine. [More]