Should pacemakers be removed in the event of localized implantation-site infection?
Anil Gehi and Davendra Mehta*
Correspondence
*
Electrophysiology Section, Cardiovascular Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine,
1 Gustave L Levy Place,
New York,
NY
10029,
USA
Email davendra.mehta@mssm.edu
This article has no abstract so we have provided the first paragraph of the full text.
The risk of pacemaker-related infection is between 1% and 6% during the first 3 years after implantation.1 Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and underlying malignancy, as well as operator inexperience and recurrent surgical manipulation of the pacemaker, all increase the risk of infection. Most pacemaker infections are believed to occur secondary to contiguous extension from an infected pacemaker pocket at the time of implantation, or from contamination of a wire that has eroded through the skin.1 In an era in which the use of cardiac devices is rapidly growing, it is extremely important that we develop a clear approach to the management of device-associated infections.2
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