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A Roadmap for Reducing Cardiac Device Infections: a Review of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Actionable Risk Factors to Guide the Development of an Infection Prevention Program for the Electrophysiology Laboratory

  • Healthcare Associated Infections (G Bearman and D Morgan, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Infectious Disease Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections are highly morbid, common, and costly, and rates are increasing (Sohail et al. Arch Intern Med 171(20):1821–8 2011; Voigt et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 48(3):590–1 2006). Factors that contribute to the development of CIED infections include patient factors (comorbid conditions, self-care, microbiome), procedural details (repeat procedure, contamination during procedure, appropriate pre-procedural prep, and antimicrobial use), environmental and organizational factors (patient safety culture, facility barriers, such as lack of space to store essential supplies, quality of environmental cleaning), and microbial factors (type of organism, virulence of organism). Each of these can be specifically targeted with infection prevention interventions.

Recent Findings

Basic prevention practices, such as administration of systemic antimicrobials prior to incision and delaying the procedure in the setting of fever or elevated INR, are helpful for day-to-day prevention of cardiac device infections. Small single-center studies provide proof-of-concept that bundled prevention interventions can reduce infections, particularly in outbreak settings. However, data regarding which prevention strategies are the most important is limited as are data regarding the optimal prevention program for day-to-day prevention (Borer et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 25(6):492–7 2004; Ahsan et al. Europace 16(10):1482–9 2014).

Summary

Evolution of infection prevention programs to include ambulatory and procedural areas is crucial as healthcare delivery is increasingly provided outside of hospitals and operating rooms. The focus on traditional operating rooms and inpatient care leaves the vast majority of healthcare delivery—including cardiac device implantations in the electrophysiology laboratory—uncovered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA

    Westyn Branch-Elliman

  2. Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Westyn Branch-Elliman

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Correspondence to Westyn Branch-Elliman.

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Conflict of Interest

Westyn Branch-Elliman is supported by a Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN)-1 Career Development Award and is the recipient of an American Heart Association Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine Award no. 17IG33630052.

Dr. Branch-Elliman declares no conflicts of interest.

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Branch-Elliman, W. A Roadmap for Reducing Cardiac Device Infections: a Review of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Actionable Risk Factors to Guide the Development of an Infection Prevention Program for the Electrophysiology Laboratory. Curr Infect Dis Rep 19, 34 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-017-0591-8

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