title: [Infectious complications of cardioverter/defibrillators--case report and review of the literature].
abstract: Implantable cardioverters/defibrillators have greatly improved survival in patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. As modern devices and technical skill and experience reduce surgical complications attention is focussed on the potentially lethal infections of these devices. Staphylococcus spp. can be isolated as the predominant causative organisms. Devices that require thoracotomy (as opposed to transvene systems) and generator replacement (as opposed to primary implantation) carry a higher risk of infections. Although there are sporadic reports on successful conservative management of ICD infection, explantation of the generator, leads and patches followed by reimplantation of a new device after no less than 2 weeks is still the recommended procedure. Concomitant intravenous antibiotic therapy should be continued for 4 to 6 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Infektionen/Chemotherapie, Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin, Wien.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hollenstein
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thalhammer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burgmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Breyer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000628:therapy*
vernacular_title: Infektiöse Komplikationen implantierbarer Kardioverter/Defibrillatoren--Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht.