The treatment of septicemia in pacemaker patients.
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.
Böhm
A
A
Haynal Imre University of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary.
Bányai
F
F
Préda
I
I
Zámolyi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012086:Reoperation; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents