title: How sweet is the pacemaker?
abstract: Pacemaker infections can be difficult to diagnose, especially when they present with non-specific symptoms and signs a long time after insertion of the device. Unidentified or partially treated low-grade chronic sepsis can result in multisystem disease processes with significant mortality and morbidity. Therefore, a high index of suspicion is required to identify the pacemaker as the source of sepsis and treat it effectively. This report describes a case of chronic pacemaker wire infection, which eventually presented with Sweet's syndrome, a rare manifestation of infective endocarditis.
authors.affiliation: I Merinopoulos, Department of Cardiology, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge CB23 3RE, UK. Email ioannis.merinopoulos@doctors.org.uk.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merinopoulos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Toole
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braganza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mistry
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vassiliou
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Enoch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications; D016463:Sweet Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Sweet’s syndrome; chronic sepsis; frailty; pacemaker lead endocarditis