Abstract
Background
Durable mechanical circulatory support device (MCSD) use continues to grow. MCSD deep-seated infections are a serious complication. Removal of the infected hardware is not always possible.
Methods
Single institution retrospective review of all culture-proven deep MCSD infection (pump and/or driveline) from 2009–2019. Patients were managed with intravenous (IV) and oral (PO) antibiotics; definitive surgical interventions included incision and drainage (I&D), device replacement, and heart transplant; and temporizing surgical measures were chronic chest tube (CCT) drainage for pump pocket and mediastinum and antibiotic impregnated bead implantation for driveline infection. Outcomes were analyzed.
Results
Total of 29 patients identified, 23 (79%) were male. Median age at device implantation was 44 years (20–68). MCSD were 18 (62%) destination therapy and 11 (38%) bridge to transplant. MCSD included 1 Heartmate I, 17 Heartmate II, 1 Heartmate III, 4 Heartware HVAD, and 6 Syncardia TAH. The median time to infection of 258 days (43–1551), affecting pump in 8 (28%), pump + driveline in 13 (44%), and driveline in 8 (28%). Microorganisms were S. aureus in 17 (60%, MRSA 11 and MSSA 6); coag-negative staphylococci in 3 (10%); Viridans streptococci in 1; Serratia marcescens in 3; P. aeruginosa in 2; Klebsiella oxytoca in 1; Mycobacterium abscessus in 1 and C. albicans in 1. Antibiotics are given to 28 patients, 23 (80%) with initial IV for a median of 6 weeks (1–14) and 5 (17%) with initial PO, for a median of 7 weeks (2–20). Nineteen patients (83%) on IV received PO antibiotics after. 17 patients (61%) remained on chronic suppression antibiotics (13 PO, 2 IV, 2 PO and IV). Twenty-six (90%) patients had I&D, 6 (21%) had device replacement and 11 (38%) had transplant. Of 21 patients with pump infection 16 (76%) had CCT drainage of pump pocket site or mediastinum for a median of 116 days (range 10–887 days). Of 21 patients with driveline infections, 6 (29%) had antibiotic impregnated bead implants. Overall survival at 90 days was 28/29 (95%) and 24/29 (83%) at 1 year. Infection-related mortality in Table 1.
Conclusion
Deep MCSD infection remains a challenging clinical problem. CCT drainage (for pump) and antibiotic-impregnated bead implant (for driveline) may be temporizing options for patients unable to undergo timely device replacement or heart transplant.
Disclosures
All authors: No reported disclosures.
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