The Nurse's Role in the Prevention of Infection After Pacemaker Implantation

Abstract

Similarly to all devices implanted into the human body, cardiac pacemakers are also prone to infection. Depending on the area which has been contaminated, infections of pacemakers present a wide spectrum in clinical presentation, treatment and clinical outcomes. The purpose of this literature review was to determine the risk factors which are responsible for causing infection after pacemaker implantation and to study the nursing interventions which may help reduce the risk of such a serious complication.The relevant literature regarding infections following pacemaker implantation was limited and made it difficult to calculate the exact incidence rate. Nevertheless,the numbers have increased over the past few years in Greece. The risk factors are associated with the patient???s history, such as age or the presence of diabetes mellitus, the experience of the operator, progression of infection from the pacemaker pocket, or even the device type which has been used. The nurse???s role in the prevention of infection after pacemaker implantation is of vital significance, and involves observation for early diagnosis of the symptoms, the precise implementation of basic nursing principles and interventions such as aseptic techniques, and the epidemiologic surveillance of incidents. Success in all the above may assist in the formation of nursing protocols regarding the prevention of infection after pacemaker implantation.