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. 2004 Mar 1;4(3):1–69.

Table 8: Infection with Mechanical Ventricular Assist Devices.

Study Sample Size n Device Total Infection Rate LVAD related infection rate Sepsis Infection mortality
Vitali 200344 53 mixed LVAD related endocarditis 1.8%
Pocket infection 3.77%
Driveline exit site infection 3.77%
5.6% 0
Granfeldt 200345 59 Mainly Heartmate® 44% Driveline or exit site 15.2%
Valve endocarditis 5/59
- -
Malani 200239 35 Surgical site infection 46% (16)
Deep tissue infection 9/16
Pneumonia (7), venous infection (6), blood stream (2), urinary tract (3), skin/soft tissue (2)
- -
Navia 2002 264 6 months Cumulative infection rate = 1.88/patient @ 6 months
Blood stream infection 1.07 infections/patient
Driveline infection 0.94 infection/patient
Pocket infection 0.49 infection/patient
- -
Gordon 200141 214 Attack rate of blood stream infection 49%.
LVAD related BSI 38%
Coagulase negative staph 33
Staph. Aureus 19
Candida 19, Psuedomonas aeruginosa
- -
Frazier 200120 280 HeartMate®
1 year
45% LVAD related 40% - -
Grossi, 200146 43 Novacor® 72% (severe 52.6%) Bacteremia 34% (26 episodes)
Urinary tract infection 18.4% (14 episodes0
Drive line exit 14.5% (11episodes)
Tracheobronchitis 9.2% (7 episodes)
Device pocket 2.6% (2episodes)
Pneumonia 1.3 episodes (1episode)
10 patients successful transplant during anti-infection treatment. No patient developed same infection after transplantation
4% -
Bank, 2000 20 HeartMate® 45%
Helman, 200047 12 (< 21 yrs) HeartMate® Systemic infection 33% of patients. - -
Sinha 2000 86 HeartMate VE® 66% had =/>1 LVAD related infection 17%
LVAD endocarditis 8% (2 cases fatal)
A high incidence of infection during LVAD support did not have an impact on pre-transplant or post-transplant mortality, post-transplant infection rate or overall patient survival.
5.8% 5.8%
Sun, 1999 95 HeartMate® 54% LVAD related infection = 27%
Drive line: 16%
Pocket: 2%
Endocarditis: 9%
- 10% of infections, 5% of all patients
McCarthy48 1999 97 HeartMate® 59% Drive line infection: 28%
Pump infection: 11%
28+11 = 39%
- -
Oz, 199742 58 HeartMate® 53% Driveline: 14% (7 - 20%)
Endocarditis 14%
- -
Griffith, 1996 162 HeartMate® Driveline: 33% (54/162), major in 24 cases (44%)
Other infections: 45% (73/162)
- -
El -Banayosy, 200149 144 Novacor® HeartMate® Thoratec® Driveline Exit site:
Novacor: 24%, Heartmate: 30%, Thoratec: 9% (9-30%)
Pocket Infection:
N: 7%, H: 21%
11 - 13% 32% of infection
(14% of all patients)
Meyns 20028 165 Novacor® ABIOMED ® 6% - -
Loisance, 200050 36 Novacor®® Overall freedom from infection: 75% at 1 year, 67% at 1.5 yeas and 58% at 2 years. Most significant Staph. Aureus - -
Holman 200234 46 (53 devices) Thoratec®
HeartMate®
Device infection 20% 11% 11% mortality due to sepsis
Novacor 1998 Novacor® 66%
Bentz 200443 90 Thoratec ®
HeartMat®
Overall device related 20% Thoratec 10%, HeartMate 29%
Staphlococcus found in 61.9% of device related infection; Driveline 52.1%(31% pocket, 15% VAD); 16/18 with LVAD related infection were successfully transplanted