Infectious Disease Reports (Feb 2022)

<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Surgical Site Infection after Cardiac Surgery in the COVID-19 Era: A Case Report

  • Giulia Parolari,
  • Chiara Sepulcri,
  • Antonio Salsano,
  • Daniele Roberto Giacobbe,
  • Anna Marchese,
  • Ramona Barbieri,
  • Antonio Guadagno,
  • Bruno Spina,
  • Francesco Santini,
  • Matteo Bassetti

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/idr14010013
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 101 – 105

Abstract

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Infection of surgical wounds with acid-fast bacilli, including tubercle bacilli, is rare, and is poorly described in the literature. We present the case of a 74-year-old male who developed a sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, diagnosed post-mortem. SARS-CoV-2 infection contributed to worsened clinical conditions and surgical site infection. A high degree of suspicion to avoid unnecessary treatments and progression to severe disease with dismal prognosis is necessary in these types of infections.

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