Septic Pulmonary Emboli Arising from A Permanent Transvenous Cardiac Pacemaker

¹ Resident in Internal Medicine, Michael Reese Hospital
² Assistant Professor of Medicine, The Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago and Chief, Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Medicine, Michael Reese Hospital
³ Department of Medicine, Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center and the Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago

This report records the first occurrence of septic pulmonary embolization arising from a permanent transvenous pacemaker. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from cultures of blood, the subcutaneous pacemaker pocket and pacemaker electrodes. Mural thrombi which developed on or near the infected electrodes in the heart were the probable source of the emboli. The portal of entry of infection was most likely the subcutaneous pacemaker pocket, even though no local physical signs of infection were apparent. Cure was achieved by antibiotics and removal of the pacemaker and the electrodes.