Management of infected transvenous permanent pacemakers.

Twenty-four instances of sepsis after permanent pacemaker implantations are reviewed. Sepsis involving the pacemaker generator usually developed shortly after operation (median time two and a hal weeks) whereas electrode catheter infection occurred later (median time 33 weeks) after erosion of the electrode loop in the neck. Factors predisposing to sepsis were present in 12 patients. Staphylococcus aureus and albus were the commonest infecting organisms. An unexplainedfinding was the increasing risk ofgenerator sepsis with each subsequent replacement.