References

Notes from the field: Mycobacterium abscessus infections among patients of a pediatric dentistry practice – Georgia, 2015. 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm6513a5.htm (Accessed 6 August 2017)
Lee MR, Sheng WH, Hung CC, Yu CJ, Lee LN, Hsueh PR. Mycobacterium abscessus complex infections in humans. Emerg Infect Dis. 2015; 21:1638-1646 https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/2109.141634
County of Orange, California. Public Health Epidemiology & Assessment. Update: Mycobacterium infections associated with a local dental clinic. http://www.ochealthinfo.com/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=58603 (Accessed 6 August 2017)
County of Orange, California. Office of the Director. Dental outbreak (Mycobacterium). 2017. http://www.ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/dcepi/epi/dip/prevention/disease_listing_a_z/myco (Accessed 6 August 2017)
M. abscessus in local dental office. Dental Unit Waterline Update – Panel Discussion – OSAP 2017 Annual Conference. 2017. http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/ (Accessed 6 August 2017)

Mycobacterium abscessus Infections in Two Groups of US Pediatric Dental Patients

From Volume 45, Issue 1, January 2018 | Pages 77-78

Authors

Charles John Palenik

GC Infection Prevention Consultants, 5868 East 71st Street, E-117 Indianapolis, Indiana 46220, USA

Articles by Charles John Palenik

Article

Mycobacterium abscessus is a rapidly growing non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM). It is ubiquitous in the environment. Commonly found in water, soil and dust and is known to contaminate medications and medical devices. M. abscessus transmission is usually caused by injection of contaminated substances or through invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment. Infection can also occur after a wound is contaminated with soil. There is minimal risk of person-to-person transmission.

Healthcare-associated infections usually involve the lungs; however, other sites can be affected. Infection of skin, underlying soft tissues and multiple organs results in inflammation, sometimes with the development of boils and/or pus-filled vesicles, including slowly progressing dental abscesses. Treatment involves pus drainage and debridement followed by prolonged combinations of antibiotics. Infections are usually resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat skin infections. Mycobacterial culturing must be specifically ordered because the presence of such organisms is not detected using routine bacterial methods.1,2

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