Hoffman P C, Fraser D W, Robicsek F, O'Bar P R, Mauney C U
J Infect Dis. 1981 Apr;143(4):533-42. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.4.533.
Two outbreaks of postoperative wound infections due to organisms of the Mycobacterium fortuitum complex (Mycobacterium chelonei and M. fortuitum) occurred among patients who underwent open-heart surgery. In one hospital, 19 of 80 patients who underwent cardiac surgery within a 10-week period developed sternal infection with M. chelonei. In the second hospital, four of nine patients who underwent cardiac surgery within a two-week period developed sternal incisional infection with M. fortuitum. Although epidemiologic investigations uncovered factors that were significantly associated with the development of infection, the source of the infections could not be determined. The results of numerous cultures were negative, but because the investigations were conducted at least two months after many of the patients had had surgery, the materials in use at the time of the surgery were not available for culture. These results emphasize that physicians should be aware that rapidly growing mycobacteria may produce postoperative wound infections.
两起因偶然分枝杆菌复合体（龟分枝杆菌和偶然分枝杆菌）引起的术后伤口感染暴发，发生在接受心脏直视手术的患者中。在一家医院，80例在10周内接受心脏手术的患者中有19例发生了由龟分枝杆菌引起的胸骨感染。在第二家医院，9例在两周内接受心脏手术的患者中有4例发生了由偶然分枝杆菌引起的胸骨切口感染。尽管流行病学调查发现了与感染发生显著相关的因素，但感染源无法确定。大量培养结果均为阴性，但由于调查是在许多患者手术后至少两个月进行的，手术时使用的材料无法用于培养。这些结果强调，医生应意识到快速生长的分枝杆菌可能导致术后伤口感染。
