Another Open Heart Surgery Patient Dies From Rare Infection

Editor’s note: This story is part of Patch’s continuing coverage of the issue of NTM infections contracted at Pennsylvania hospitals. So far, two hospitals have issued warnings. Seven people have died. We are working to contact local hospitals in an effort to determine if others are at risk. Stay tuned for updates.

Another patient has died after contracting a fatal infection that has been identified at two Pennsylvania hospitals.

PennLive.com reports a fifth person at WellSpan York Hospital has died after contracting nontuberculous mycobacterium, or NTM, after open heart surgery at the hospital.

The infection is now linked to least seven deaths in the state. Two hospitals are warning thousands of open heart surgery patients that they may have been exposed to it.

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center on Tuesday announced it is notifying approximately 2,300 open heart surgery patients of possible exposure to the bacteria during procedures performed between Nov. 5, 2011 and Nov. 5, 2015. The infection may have been linked to two deaths at that hospital, officials there said.

In late October, WellSpan York Hospital alerted 1,300 people of a similar infection after they learned that four people had died, likely as a result of NTM. The fifth death was confirmed this week, PennLive.com reported.

WellSpan York Hospital said patients at risk are those who had open-heart surgery between Oct. 1 2011 and July 24, 2015.

Officials at both hospitals say they have linked the bacterial infection to a heater-cooler device used during open-heart surgery.

Penn State Hershey said it recently delayed two open-heart surgery cases so that it could replace its existing heater-cooler devices with new devices. As of Nov. 8, the Hershey-based Medical Center replaced all heater-cooler devices.

>> RELATED: 4 Deaths Linked To Bacterial Infection At Pa. Hospital

The hospitals learned of the risk after reading about it in a medical journal. A short time after the medical journal findings were released, York hospital officials said they became aware of several surgery patients with NTM infections of the type identified in the study.

WellSpan York Hospital has established a dedicated website (www.WellSpan.org/yorkopenheart) that contains information and resources as well as a toll-free nurse call center (866-217-2970), which is dedicated to answering questions from patients and the community 24 hours a day.

Penn State Hershey Medical Center has also established an informational website (www.pennstatehershey.org/open-heart) as well as a toll-free call center, 1-877-467-7484 to answer questions from patients and the community.

Federal health authorities believe this device issue may be widespread across the country and have issued health advisories to hospitals nationally in an effort to prevent these infections, WellSpan York Hospital said.

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Second Pennsylvania Hospital Linked To Fatal Bacteria