My Approach to the Patient With an Infected Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)

Infection of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) may be suspected if the patient has erythema, pain, swelling, or discharge from the ICD pocket, or signs of systemic infection such as fever or an elevated white blood cell count. Erosion of the skin with visible hardware by definition means the device is infected. Risk factors for infection include early reoperation (for example, because of lead dislodgment), hematoma, generator replacement, upgrade procedures, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) procedures, and comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease.
Source: Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research