Some 11,500 former heart-surgery patients in Alberta are being notified that they may have been in contact with a bacteria during surgery.
Alberta Health Services is calling the risk level of exposure to the bacteria “extremely low.”
Patients may have come into contact with Mycobacterium chimaera at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary after January 2013, and at Edmonton’s Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute and Stollery Children’s Hospital after January 2012, according to AHS.
The potential risk for M. chimaera infection is associated with certain heater-cooler units used to warm and cool blood during adult and pediatric open-heart surgery, reported the U.S. Federal Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as Health Canada.
So far, no infections have been detected in Alberta, according to Dr. Mark Joffe, AHS Senior Medical Director, Infection, Prevention and Control.
Dr. Joffe said the hospitals follow manufacturer instructions to clean and maintain the heater-cooler machines.
“At all sites, we have implemented additional safety measures to further minimize risk,” he added.
M. chimaera infections can’t be spread from person to person. Symptoms can be subtle, but will generally progress over several weeks and may include:
- Fever
- Unexplained, persistent and profuse night sweats
- Unintentional weight loss
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Redness, heat or pus at the surgical incision site
Patients who have undergone open-heart surgery and are experiencing these symptoms for more than a couple of weeks should consult their doctor.
Individuals looking for more information can contact Health Link at 811.