Cardiology and Angiology: An International Journal

Pacemaker infective endocarditis is a more real diagnostic problem than a therapeutic one. The precise impact is not well known. Its incidence is poorly known, and it is a serious infection with an estimated mortality of around 25%. It is with this in mind that we report 2 clinical cases with a literature review.

Case 1: An 88-year-old patient with a double chamber pacemaker was admitted for febrile syndrome with a fever at 39.2°. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) found an image of vegetation on the aortic valve measuring 9mm, located on the noncoronary cusp, and overflowing on the right coronary cusp. An inflammatory syndrome was found on blood tests. Blood culture, wound swab culture, and bacteriological study of material after removal revealed Staphylococcus Aureus Meti S. The patient was initially put on Vancomycin with a loading dose of 2g / 24h then 1g / 24h, and the pacemaker was extracted.

Case 2: A 68-year-old with a double chamber pacemaker (PM) was admitted for fever at 39 ° c with suppuration of the PM pocket.  Echocardiography identified an image on the tricuspid valve  measuring 14x8 mm evoking vegetation given the context. Two blood cultures and swabs isolated a Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was administered Triaxon 2g / day for 4 weeks and gentamycin 180 mg for 15 days. The pacemaker was removed.

Pacemaker Infective endocarditis is rare, poorly understood, very serious, and potentially fatal, accounting for up to about 7% in some case series. In half of the cases, they affect the endocavitary leads, but also the valves, and in 45% of cases the infection of the pocket. The average age is 65 years. The clinical symptoms are disparate making the diagnosis more difficult, it must be evoked in case of unexplained fever in a patient implanted with a Pacemaker. Bactericidal dual therapy should be administered after blood cultures in case of strong suspicion of infective endocarditis (IE) and adapted after identification of the germ in question. Most authors are adamant about extracting any pacemaker whenever possible.