Open heart surgery linked to deadly infection
Open heart surgery has always been an operation with many implications and risks.
However, patients who have undergone open heart surgery in the UK are being told that they may be at risk of a deadly infection linked to medical equipment that was used during the operation.
Warnings
NHS Choices have warned UK patients who have had open heart surgery or a heart or lung transplant since January 2013 that they may be at risk of the mycobacterium chimaera infection. They note that those who have had an operation outside of the UK may also be affected.
A dedicated NHS page details FAQs for patients who have undergone heart surgery.
NHS Scotland sent letters to approximately 5,000 patients who have had valve replacement or valve repair surgery since 2013. The notification also includes children who have had, or are receiving, congenital surgery.
Low risk vs. high risk
The NHS has categorised those who are more and less at risk. They note that the risk is lower for people who’ve had some types of open heart surgery, including a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), or a heart or lung transparent. They also note that the risk is low if you’ve had the heart valve surgery before January 2013. However, they note that patients who are at a higher risk of infection should have received notification from their hospitals by 31st March 2017.
Reassurances?
Health Protection Scotland said that the risk of infection is “very low”. The letters notified patients that there was a “minimal risk” of contracting an infection caused by the bacteria mycobacterium chimaera.
Dr Jim McMenamin, consultant epidemiologist at the Health Protection Scotland, said:
“I would emphasise that there is no need for any patient to be unduly alarmed as the threat of infection is very low.”
Nick Phin, Deputy Director National Infection Service for Public Health England, said:
“Following international alerts… Public Health England launched an urgent investigation and has identified a very low risk…”
All the reassurances above seem to forget that even though it’s a low risk, there is still a risk!
Heater-cooler equipment used during surgery
The NHS notes that the mycobacterium infection has been linked with a device to heat and cool the blood during some types of open heart surgery.
The risk associated with the medical equipment has been known to the NHS for years.
In November 2015, the NHS provided advice to hospitals regarding the heater-cooler units, and they also told doctors to notify patients of the risk.
It’s believed that the heater-cooler units are a part of heart by-pass machines used during these operations, and that they might be contaminated with bacteria. The device is thought to be essential for open heart operations.
Fatalities
The NHS notes there are no cases of the infection for those who underwent open heart surgery since January 2015. However, NHS England has identified 26 cases in the UK and 15 people have died from the infection.
Although there are thousands of patients who underwent open heart surgery or a transplant surgery, there have been no cases identified so far in Scotland, according to BBC News.
There is a danger associated with the infection; it can lie dormant for years without the patient knowing. This is a significant concern.
The content of this post/page was considered accurate at the time of the original posting and/or at the time of any posted revision. The content of this page may, therefore, be out of date. The information contained within this page does not constitute legal advice. Any reliance you place on the information contained within this page is done so at your own risk.
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