Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) comprise several pathogens with a complex profile of virulence, diverse epidemiological and clinical patterns as well as host specificity. Recently, an increase in the number of NTM infections has been observed; therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of these infections. METHODS: We included patients with NTM infections between 2001-2017 and obtained risk factors, clinical features and outcomes; finally, we compared this data between slowly growing (SGM) and rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM). RESULTS: A total of 230 patients were evaluated, 158 (69%) infected and 72 (31%) colonized/pseudoinfected. The average annual incidence in the first 11 years of the study was 0.5 cases per 1000 admissions and increased to 2.0 cases per 1000 admissions later on. The distribution of NTM infections was as follows: bloodstream and disseminated disease 72 (45%), lung infection 67 (42%), skin and soft tissue infection 19 (12%). Mycobacterium avium complex was the most common isolate within SGM infections, and HIV-infected patients were the most affected. Within RGM infections, M. fortuitum was the most common isolate from patients with underlying conditions such as cancer, type-2 diabetes mellitus, presence of invasive devices, and use of immunosuppressive therapy. We did not find significant differences in deaths and persistent infections between disseminated SGM infection when compared to disseminated RGM infection (42% vs. 24%, p=0.22). However, disseminated SGM infection required a longer duration of therapy than disseminated RGM infection (median, 210 vs. 42 days, p=0.01). NTM lung disease showed no significant differences in outcomes among treated versus non-treated patients (p=0.27). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a significant increase in the number of Non-tuberculosis-mycobacteria infections in our setting. Patients with slow-growing-mycobacteria infections were mainly persons living with human immunodeficiency virus . Older patients with chronic diseases were common among those with rapidly-growing-mycobacteria infections. For non-tuberculosis-mycobacteria lung infection, antibiotic therapy should be carefully individualized.