Hospital outbreak of atypical mycobacterial infection of port sites after laparoscopic surgery

SummaryA series of 145 laparoscopy port site infections due to Mycobacterium chelonae were found in 35 patients following laparoscopy at a single hospital over a six-week period. The contaminating source was ultimately identified as the rinsing water used for washing chemically disinfected instruments. The organism survived and grew within the biofilm at the bottom of disinfectant trays and within the outer sleeves of re-usable laparoscopic instruments. Remedial control measures included changing to ethylene oxide gas sterilization of laparoscopic equipment instead of chemical sterilization, thorough dismantling and manual precleaning of instruments, drying prior to gas sterilization, and random checks of environmental samples within the operating room complex for acid-fast bacilli. No further atypical mycobacterial infective episodes have occurred in the three years since the study. Awareness of this ubiquitous opportunistic organism that is not easily eradicated from the hospital environment, careful surveillance, detailed attention to disinfection methods of medical devices, and appropriate control measures are essential to prevent potential outbreaks.