Evaluation of European Heart Rhythm Association consensus in patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Background: Cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) implantation has markedly increased over the past 2 decades. Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) occurs in patients with CIED, and determination of device infection often is difficult.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the rate and clinical characteristics of SAB in patients living with CIED using the 2019 European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) international consensus document.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with CIED who were hospitalized at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, with SAB from 2012 to 2019. Patients who met CIED infection criteria after SAB based on EHRA criteria were identified. A descriptive statistic and time-dependent Cox model were used.

Results: Overall, 110 patients with CIED developed SAB, of whom 92 (83.6%) underwent transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). Fifty-seven (51.8%) and 31 (28.2%) patients met criteria for definite and possible CIED infections, respectively. At 30-day follow-up, the cumulative rate of patients undergoing complete device extraction was 80.0% in the definite CIED infection group, compared with 38.8% and 32.9% in the possible and rejected CIED infection groups, respectively. We found that CIED extraction was associated with an 83% reduction in risk of 1-year mortality in the definite CIED infection group.

Conclusion: The rate of CIED infections after SAB was higher than that reported previously. Increased use of TEE and a novel case definition with broader diagnostic criteria likely were operative, in part, in accounting for the higher rate of CIED infections complicating SAB. Complete device removal is critical in patients with definite CIED infection to improve 1-year mortality.