title: An outbreak of post-surgical wound infections due to Mycobacterium abscessus.
abstract: An outbreak of post-operative wound infections due to Mycobacterium abscessus is described. During a 5-month period 45 post-surgical patients developed wound infection, manifested by wound breakdown, cellulitis, and discharge and progressing slowly to suppuration and sinus formation. The majority (43/45) had undergone out-patient operations, and 40 had had surgery in the inguinal region. The source of infection was identified as contaminated tap water. A study revealed serious deficiencies in the disinfection and sterilisation techniques employed in the operating theatre (OT), including major defects in the autoclaving machine. The outbreak was controlled after several specific measures were instituted. The patients responded well to treatment with conventional first-line anti-tuberculous drugs administered for 3-8 months. The report highlights the necessity of strict monitoring of disinfection and sterilisation techniques in surgical units and OTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi-110001, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chadha
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grover
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lakshmy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deb
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mehta
mesh_terms: D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003646:Debridement; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004322:Drainage; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D017053:Infection Control; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000995:Antitubercular Agents