The Centers for Disease Control warned this month that open heart surgery patients that they may be at risk of a life-threatening infection from a medical device.
Up to 600,000 patients who had valve transplants or prosthetic implants since 2012 are at risk for the infection, the CDC said.
The bacteria, called nontuberculous mycobacterium, can lead to symptoms of night sweats, muscle aches, joint pain, weight loss and unexplained fever, the CDC reported. They can take a month to develop.
Dr. Vinod Thourani of the American College of Cardiology’s surgeon’s council told CNN people should not be too alarmed.
“The overall risk is exceedingly low,” Thourani told the news station.
Investigators confirmed 28 infections in heart surgery patients, according to CNN.
The source of the infection is the Stockert 3T heater-cooler device.
Read more at CNN.com.
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