The treatment of septicemia in pacemaker patients

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 1996 Jul;19(7):1105-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1996.tb03420.x.

Abstract

The authors analyzed the data of seven patients who had undergone open heart surgery because of pacemaker endocarditis in the past 4 years. Repeated surgical interventions on the pacemaker system were found to be the most common predisposing factors. Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were the most common causative organisms. Two-dimensional echocardiography was important in the diagnosis of cases with atypical clinical picture and negative blood cultures. We concluded that: (1) any pacemaker patient with fever should be considered to have a pacemaker endocarditis; (2) all of these patients should be examined by two-dimensional echocardiography; and (3) the total removal of the infected hardware seems to be the only way to achieve complete recovery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacteremia / etiology*
  • Bacteremia / therapy*
  • Echocardiography
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / diagnostic imaging
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / etiology*
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pacemaker, Artificial / adverse effects*
  • Reoperation
  • Staphylococcal Infections / diagnostic imaging
  • Staphylococcal Infections / etiology*
  • Staphylococcal Infections / therapy*
  • Staphylococcus epidermidis

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents