staff infection after pacemaker install

Wow, what a month. I went for my pm operation on October 6th, then by October 10th lots & lots of redness and soreness. Went to doctor, she thought cellulitus around pm. Next day- heart doctor...thought maybe allergy to steri strips. October 13th...high temp, emergency room. Long story short - PM had to be removed. Massive infection. ICU and part isolation until they figured out the cause.

Staph Lugdunensis(SL) was the culprit, and probably introduced during the first surgery.  They removed the PM and I was on a temporary PM. MD’s thought, at first, that maybe I actually was allergic to the pacemaker itself, so they taped parts to my back for 4 days - no reaction. They finally got the cultures back and it was the SL. I was on massive pain pills and dilaudid shots. I was also IV’s with Daptomycin.

They put the new PM in on October 27th. So far no infection. They put it on the other side and I am now home but am receiving wound vac treatment for the failed PM site.  So all in all I am happy to be home, I am a little nervous they took me off all antibiotics because they said the staph culture was clear. I was in ICU and couldn’t get out of bed because they didn’t want the temporary PM to come out of my neck. I really have some bad stories and funny stories....but was out of it most of the time because of meds. I was overmedicated the day the second PM was put in and I was very paranoid. Very bad emotional experience. Never want to go thru any of this again. I hope the infection is truly gone, and that I can heal and get strong. I was released from Hospital on Oct 31, and I am still pretty weak. Love being home!!!!!

2 Comments

Lousy Investigation!!!

by donr - 2011-11-06 02:11:41

Seems to me that they could have run a couple of those tests in parallel - like the Staph & the allergic to PM tests. They wasted 4 days of your life w/ that. - unless I misread the post & they did do them in parallel. Fever = infection, usually. I think you were cursed! Glad things are looking up for you now.

Good investigative procedure looks at the simplest & most likely cause first, not the most improbable. Staph is common as grass in hospitals these days. Allergies so remote it should be LAST choice. Besides, staph can kill you - allergy surely cannot!

Don

I hate to say this

by walkerd - 2011-11-06 06:11:17

but from what Ive read and heard staff infections are ussually introduced from the hospital. If blood tests came back good you should be ok now. Stinks that you had to go thru this. 4 or 5 days laying in a hospital bed will do that to ya the weak feeling. Youll get better just take it slow and your strength will come back watersl. Speaking of dilaudin my mom is allergic to that, maybe you are also.

Good luck from now on

dave

You know you're wired when...

You can finally prove that you have a heart.

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