Pulmonary infection caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria in a medical center in Taiwan, 2005-2008

The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of pulmonary infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in a university hospital in Taiwan from 2005 to 2008. During the study period, a total of 312 patients with NTM pulmonary infection were identified. Most patients with NTM pulmonary infection had preexisting pulmonary diseases or malignancies. The incidence (per 100,000 inpatients and outpatients) of patients with NTM isolations (6.67 in 2005 and 9.28 in 2008, P < .0001) from respiratory specimens and the incidence of patients with NTM pulmonary infection (3.54 in 2005 and 4.45 in 2008, P < .0141) increased significantly annually. The most common pathogens in patients with NTM-associated pulmonary infections were Mycobacterium avium complex (n = 110, 35.3%), followed by M. abscessus (n = 66, 21.2%). Incidence (per 100,000 inpatients and outpatients) of patients with pulmonary infections caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) also increased significantly (1.06 in 2005 and 2.00 in 2008, P = .008). In conclusion, RGM, especially M. abscessus, had an increasingly important role in NTM pulmonary infections.