Indian Journal of Pathology and Microbiology (Jan 2017)

Risk of cardiac pacemaker pocket infection in a tertiary care hospital

  • Jaswinder Singh Gill,
  • Navreet Singh,
  • S P Khanna

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/IJPM.IJPM_190_16
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 60, no. 2
pp. 185 – 188

Abstract

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Background: The risk of pacemaker pocket infections (PPIs) is rare with good antisepsis techniques and use of advanced antibiotics. However, injudicious antibiotic usage leads to the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which may cause PPI. Few reports exist about the microbial spectrum of the PPI from our country, prompting us to study the same. Methods: We conducted this retrospective observational study for 3 years (January 2013–February 2016) from all the patients with PPI. We collected the relevant clinical samples (blood and pus) for the microbial culture using a standard protocol. We included 100 samples collected from the medical staff and the hospital environment as a control sample. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods and a P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Our data showed that 17 out of 160 (10.6%) patients had PPI. Coagulase negative Staphylococcus sp. was isolated in 7 (41.2%) patients, followed by Staphylococcus aureus in 4 patients (23.5%). Other isolated bacteria include multidrug-resistant Burkholderia cepacia (n = 3), Mycobacterium abscessus (n = 2) and polymicrobial infection in a single patient. One out of hundred surveillance samples grew B. cepacia. Conclusion: Our data revealed a high incidence of Gram-positive cocci causing PPI. Every hospital should formulate their antibiotic policy based on the pattern of the hospital flora and their drug sensitivity.

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