Device infections related to cardiac resynchronization therapy in clinical practice–An analysis of its prevalence, risk factors and routine surveillance at a single center university hospital

Background The implantation rates of cardiac implantable electronic devices have steadily increased, accompanied by a steeper rise of device related infections (DRI). Hypothesis The prevalence of DRI for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is higher in clinical practice than reported previously, even at a university hospital, and likely higher than reported to the national device registry. Methods Electronic medical records of consecutive patients undergoing a CRT procedure between January 2016 and December 2017 were analyzed. Clinical history, procedure related variables and complications were reviewed by specialists in cardiology and infectious diseases. Results A total of 171 patients, mean aged 74 years, 138 males (80.7%) were included. Twelve DRI occurred in 10 patients during mean 2.5 years follow‐up, giving a prevalence of 7% (incidence of 29/1000 person‐years). Reoperation, pocket haematoma, ≥3 procedures, previous device infection and indwelling central venous line were the strongest predictive factors according to univariate analysis. Out of 63/171 (36.8%) major complications, 31(49.2%) were lead‐related. There were 49/171 (28.7%) reoperations and 15/171 (8.8%) minor complications. The number major complications and DRI reported to the national device registry were 7/171 (4.1%) and 2/171 (0.6%), respectively, reflecting a 5‐fold underreporting. Conclusions The high rate of CRT device infections is in sharp contrast to those reported by others and to the national device registry. Although a center specific explanation cannot be excluded, the high rates highlight a major issue with registries, reinforcing the need for better surveillance and automatic reporting of device related complications.