Wound infections in adult patients after Berlin Heart EXCOR biventricular assist device implantation
The Berlin Heart® EXCOR is a paracorporeal, pulsatile ventricular assist device used in patients of all age groups. However, adolescent and adult patients on EXCOR support are scarcely explored. Herein, we present a detailed description of infectious complications in this patient cohort. From 2006 t...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
6 October 2022
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| In: |
Life
Year: 2022, Volume: 12, Issue: 10, Pages: 1-11 |
| ISSN: | 2075-1729 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/life12101550 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101550 Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/10/1550 
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| Author Notes: | Jamila Kremer, Abbas El-Dor, Rasmus Rivinius, Philipp Schlegel, Wiebke Sommer, Gregor Warnecke, Matthias Karck, Arjang Ruhparwar and Anna L. Meyer |
| Summary: | The Berlin Heart® EXCOR is a paracorporeal, pulsatile ventricular assist device used in patients of all age groups. However, adolescent and adult patients on EXCOR support are scarcely explored. Herein, we present a detailed description of infectious complications in this patient cohort. From 2006 to 2020, 58 patients received a biventricular assist device (BiVAD) at our institution and were included in this study. Postoperative infections were assessed after BiVAD implantation and subsequent heart transplantation (HTx). A Berlin Heart® EXCOR BiVAD was implanted as a bridge to transplantation in 58 patients (12-64 years). Most patients were INTERMACS I, and their median age was 49 years. Wound infections (WI) specific to the ventricular assist device (VAD) occurred in 31 (53.4%) patients with a mean time of 113 ± 155 days after BiVAD implantation. HTx was performed in 30 (51.7%) patients and thereof 10 (33.3%) patients developed at least one WI post-HTx. The mean time of WI after HTx was 17 ± 14 days. In four cases, WIs were caused by the same pathogen as before HTx. According to our institutional BiVAD wound classification, the mean wound score was 3. The VAD-specific wound infections were manageable and did not increase mortality nor precluded HTx in Berlin Heart® EXCOR patients. No specific risk factors for VAD-specific wound infections could be identified. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 15.02.2023 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 2075-1729 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/life12101550 |