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Invasive Listeriosis of Intracardiac Device

Prerna Sharma1, Mohamed Yassin2

  • 1Internal Medicine Resident, UPMC Mercy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Case Reports in Medicine
|June 1, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Listeria monocytogenes can infect heart devices, leading to rare but serious conditions like pacemaker lead infections. Prompt identification and treatment are crucial for patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiology
  • Medical Microbiology

Background:

  • Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen causing invasive infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and the elderly.
  • Listeria endocarditis is a rare condition, with limited literature on its impact on intracardiac devices.
  • This report details a case of Listeria infection associated with a cardiac device.

Observation:

  • A 74-year-old male with multiple cardiac conditions presented with fatigue and was diagnosed with Listeria bacteremia.
  • Transthoracic echocardiogram revealed vegetation on the pacemaker lead, indicating an intracardiac device infection.
  • The patient received a 6-week course of vancomycin followed by amoxicillin suppression.

Findings:

  • Listeria can infect native valves, prosthetic valves, and nonvalvular intracardiac devices, including pacemakers.
  • While Listeria prosthetic valve endocarditis has been reported, pacemaker lead infections are less documented.
  • Treatment typically involves antibiotics (penicillin and aminoglycosides) for 4-6 weeks, often with preferred surgical device removal.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of considering Listeria in patients with intracardiac device infections.
  • Prompt diagnosis and treatment of invasive listeriosis are essential for preventing fatal outcomes.
  • Further research into Listeria infections of cardiac devices is warranted to improve clinical management.
Abstract

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