title: Prevention and management of cochlear implant infections.
abstract: Understanding the issues of infection related to an implantable medical device is crucial to all cochlear implant teams. Furthermore, given the risk of central nervous system complications and the relatively high quantity of underlying resource investment associated with cochlear implantation,  the stakes of infection are high. The optimal strategies to prevent and manage such infections are still evolving as good-quality prospective data to guide such management decisions are not yet abundant within the medical literature and many recommendations are based on retrospective reviews  or anecdotal evidence. We will outline a general strategy to deal with cochlear implant-related infection based on both the authors' experience and the published literature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otology & Neurotology, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery,University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA. michaelgluth@mac.com
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gluth
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Marcus D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Atlas
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008581:Meningitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000453:epidemiology; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology