Mycobacterium chelonae infections associated with face lifts--New Jersey, 2002-2003

Abstract

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.