Efficacy of postoperative prophylactic antibiotics in reducing permanent pacemaker infections

Despite limited evidence, postoperative prophylactic antibiotics are often used in the setting of permanent pacemaker implantation or replacement. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of postoperative antibiotics.

Postoperative prophylactic antibiotics may be not clinically useful.

We recruited 367 consecutive patients undergoing permanent pacemaker implantation or generator replacement at a tertiary referral center. Baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, and procedure information were collected, and all patients received preoperative prophylactic antibiotics. Postoperative prophylactic antibiotics were administered at the discretion of the treating physician, and all patients were seen in follow-up every 3 to 6 months for an average follow-up period of 16 months. The primary endpoint was device-related infection.

A total of 110 patients were treated with preoperative antibiotics only (group 1), whereas 257 patients received both preoperative and postoperative antibiotics (group 2). After a mean follow-up period of 16 months, 1 patient in group 1 (0.9%) and 4 patients in group 2 (1.5%) experienced a device-related infection. There was no significant difference in the rate of infection between the 2 groups (P = 0.624). In the univariate analysis, only the age (60 ± 11 vs 75 ± 12 years, P < 0.001) was significantly different between the infected and noninfected groups. In the multivariate analysis, younger age was an independent risk factor for infective complications (odds ratio = 1.08, P = 0.016).

Patients treated with preoperative and postoperative antibiotics had a similar rate of infection as those treated with preoperative antibiotics alone. Further studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.