Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation
16:40

A New Single Chamber Implantable Defibrillator with Atrial Sensing: A Practical Demonstration of Sensing and Ease of Implantation

Published on: February 28, 2012

Automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator pocket infection due to Providencia rettgeri: a case report

Jorge Manuel Marull1, Maria Elena De Benedetti

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center-Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1000 10th Avenue, New York, NY, 10019, USA. jmarull@chpnet.org

Cases Journal
|November 18, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This study details a rare pacemaker infection caused by Providencia rettgeri bacteria. It highlights the importance of considering unusual pathogens in device-related infections.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiology
  • Medical Microbiology

Background:

  • Pacemaker-defibrillator system infections are commonly caused by Staphylococcus species.
  • Gram-negative bacterial infections, though less common, have been documented with various genera.

Observation:

  • A unique case of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator infection is presented.
  • The patient was a 65-year-old male with bacteremia and device infection.

Findings:

  • The causative pathogen was identified as Providencia rettgeri, a rare cause of device infection.
  • This represents a unique instance of this specific bacterium infecting an implanted cardiac device.

Implications:

  • Clinicians should consider a broader range of pathogens, including Providencia rettgeri, in device infections.
  • This case expands the known spectrum of bacteria associated with cardiac implantable electronic device infections.

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