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Bacillus Cereus Endocarditis in a permanent pacemaker: a case report.
Salaheldin Abusin1, Arvind Bhimaraj, Suhail Khadra
1Department of Medicine, John H, Stroger Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA. sayabusin@hotmail.com.
Cases Journal
|August 19, 2008
Summary
This case report details a rare instance of Bacillus Cereus endocarditis affecting a permanent pacing wire in a pacemaker patient. Early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment led to a good clinical recovery, highlighting the importance of considering unusual pathogens.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Medical Case Reports
Background:
- Bacillus Cereus endocarditis is a rare infection, often associated with intravenous drug use or prosthetic heart valves.
- Infection of cardiac pacing wires by Bacillus Cereus is exceptionally uncommon.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a rare case of Bacillus Cereus infection of a permanent pacing wire.
- To emphasize the importance of considering uncommon organisms in endocarditis diagnoses.
Main Methods:
- A 69-year-old female with a permanent pacemaker presented with systemic symptoms.
- Blood cultures identified Bacillus Cereus, and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a lesion on the pacing wire.
Main Results:
- The patient received 6 weeks of intravenous antibiotics.
- Clinical recovery was observed at 6-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Clinicians should maintain a high suspicion for endocarditis in patients with cardiac prostheses, even with rare organisms.
- Antibiotic therapy may be a viable initial treatment option for stable patients before considering device removal.
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