infections?

I have had my pm for about a year and a half now, and am wondering if anyone else has had the problem I continue to have. My pacemaker site becomes red, warm, itchy, burning, and I get stabbing pains. This has happened several times since implantation. It took four surgeries to to get the leads in place and working without diaphram pacing, and after the fourth time, I did have a serious infection. After five days hospitalization and a month of IV antibiotics (I had a pic line at home) the infection cleared up. But every so often I get this irritation and this time I am on oral antibiotics for it. It seems to be getting better, but it's all crusty, which is weird because there never was any drainage, not even the first time. I can't find any info about infections occurring after healing from the initial implantation and am wondering if any of you have had this.

5 Comments

hmmmmm

by Pookie - 2010-03-29 08:03:56

Hi ro.

I am not a doctor nor a nurse, but my first instinct is to get a 2nd opinion. Perhaps (and I'm only guessing) that this present infection could be rather deep and I wouldn't want to see you get in any more trouble.

Perhaps a 2nd set of fresh new eyes may be the answer.

Is it your family doctor or your cardiologist who has you on the oral antibiotics this time? And does the other one know of your situation as well???

It's just my opinion, but I'd be seriously asking for a few professional opinions.

take care,
Pookie


Interesting

by tcrabtree85 - 2010-03-30 02:03:52

What kind of infection did you have? I am wondering if say is was staph or MRSA did you potentially get exposed to it again. If your antibiotic does not clear it up did they run a blood test to check and make sure that you don't have a infection built up in your pacer pocket?
I just am getting over a nasty infection myself and just got my PICC line out not that long ago. I know it's hard and I know the risk of getting infection again goes up. So please stay on top of this.

Tammy

Thanks

by ro - 2010-03-30 06:03:43

Thanks for the responses from Pookie and torabtree85. This infection was first seen by my dermatologist during an appointment for an unrelated matter. She told me to call my cardiologist, who contacted the Infectious Disease Consultant who treated my last infection (staph). She debated about whether to use oral or IV antibiotics, decided to go with oral and ran blood tests (which she said would probably not show anything). I will see her again this Friday and she said she will have to make some decisions if this is not resolved by then. I have had redness and pain a few times over the past year, but it always cleared up on its own. This time is worse. The dermatologist thinks they may need to take the pm out. Then what? Does anyone out there know what they do? I mean, I need this pm to keep my heart beating.

no fever

by ro - 2010-03-31 06:03:46

Actually, you need not have a fever for an infection to be present. I do not have a fever, nor did I have one when I had the staph infection, although both times the area affected was very warm. Fever can be an indicator of infection, but is not a necessary factor.

Infection?

by roy haycock - 2010-04-12 09:04:04

After my ICD was inserted I developed a red patch underneath it on the chest.
The cardiologist believed it was an infection but I had no pain and it was not warm. However , I had anti-biotics for twleve weeks without ay noticeable effect or reduction in the size of the site.
I was sent to a dermatologist who obtained samples of all the component parts of the ICD so as to test to see if I was allergic to any of them. When he found that I had not reacted at all to any of them he decided that the red patch was just my body responding to
a " foreign body in it",.
All of this took place two years ago. I still have the red patch which does not hurt or itch so I just ignore it !!

best wishes,
Roy

You know you're wired when...

You run like the bionic woman.

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