CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF RISK-FACTORS FOR INFECTIOUS COMPLICATIONS OF IMPLANTABLE CARDIOVERTER-DEFIBRILLATOR IMPLANTATIONS AT A UNIVERSITY MEDICAL-CENTER

The objective of this report is to describe the characteristics of pat ients who develop infections associated with implantable cardioverter- defibrillators (ICDs) implanted with sternotomy and thoracotomy approa ches. A retrospective chart review identified all patients who underwe nt ICD implantation at a university medical center from November 1982 through February 1990, Several patient and procedural variables were c ompared between infected patients and noninfected patients. One hundre d fifty-seven patients underwent 202 ICD generator implantations (45 g enerator changes), and nine of these patients developed infection (4.5 % per implantation and 5.7% per patient). Of the patient variables ana lyzed, a significant correlation (P < .0001) was made only with a diag nosis of diabetes mellitus: 36% of diabetics versus 3.9% of nondiabeti cs were infected. The only patient- or procedure-specific variable tha t was found to correlate with the development of infection was the pre sence of diabetes mellitus.