ROCHESTER, Minn., April 12 -- The source of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections that develop after cardiac devices are implanted may be the devices themselves, researchers here reported.
Implantable defibrillators were a greater source than permanent pacemakers for S. aureus infections stemming from the devices or their electrode leads, according to a report in the April 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Surprisingly," Dr. Uslan's team said, "we found that the cumulative probability of device infection was significantly higher in patients with defibrillators." Infection from defibrillators was almost nine times greater than infection from pacemakers."
It is unclear, they said, whether this is because of underlying comorbidities or demographics of defibrillator patients, or differences in devices or physical properties of the lead, or implantation-associated risks.
If there is S. aureus bloodstream infection, then an infected device was the source in 54.6% of cases, while device infection was only responsible for 12% of Gram-negative bacilli bloodstream infections, said Daniel Z. Uslan, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic here, now at the University of California Los Angeles, and colleagues.
Device infection was microbiologically confirmed if findings from culture samples or Gram stain from the generator pocket or electrode lead were positive for organisms, the researchers said.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Arrhythmias/tb1/5432
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