Mycobacterium chelonae infections associated with face lifts--New Jersey, 2002-2003.
In March 2003, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) was notified about three patients who acquired surgical-site infections caused by Mycobacterium chelonae after having face lifts (i.e., rhytidectomies) performed at an outpatient surgical center. NJDHSS learned subsequently of another patient with M. chelonae infection who had a rhytidectomy performed at a second surgical center. The four patients received diagnoses of M. chelonae infection during March 2002-February 2003. NJDHSS conducted an epidemiologic, environmental, and microbiologic investigation. This report summarizes the results of that investigation, which identified contaminated methylene blue used as a tissue-marking agent as the source of infection. Surgeons should use only sterile, single-use, tissue-marking agents during procedures that require aseptic technique, and clinicians should consider M. chelonae when evaluating surgical-site infections.
D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004340:Drug Contamination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008751:Methylene Blue; D008875:Middle Aged; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016926:Mycobacterium chelonae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D015361:Rhytidoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
D008751:Methylene Blue