Heart surgery patients dating back to 2012 could be at risk for infection

Patients who have undergone heart surgery since 2012 may be at risk for developing an infection caused by the machine Stöckert 3T that could have been contaminated during manufacturing, reports News 12 New Jersey.

The infection, known as non-tuberculosis Mycobacterum, had already contributed to 28 deaths nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include night sweats, muscle aches, weight loss, fatigue and fever.

St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey, notified heart surgery patients from the last nine years about the infection. No infections have been reported at the hospital.

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Katherine Davis,

Senior Writer

As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.

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