title: Clinical presentation and analysis of risk factors for infectious complications of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantations at a university medical center.
abstract: The objective of this report is to describe the characteristics of patients who develop infections associated with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) implanted with sternotomy and thoracotomy approaches. A retrospective chart review identified all patients who underwent ICD implantation at a university medical center from November 1982 through February 1990. Several patient and procedural variables were compared between infected patients and noninfected patients. One hundred fifty-seven patients underwent 202 ICD generator implantations (45 generator changes), and nine of these patients developed infection (4.5% per implantation and 5.7% per patient). Of the patient variables analyzed, a significant correlation (P < .0001) was made only with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus: 36% of diabetics versus 3.9% of nondiabetics were infected. The only patient- or procedure-specific variable that was found to correlate with the development of infection was the presence of diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Spinler
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nawarskas
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Foote
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sabapathi
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Connors
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Marchlinski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015143:Philadelphia; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013908:Thoracotomy