Infection Rate Doubles in Patients with Cardiac Devices

A recent study out of the Jefferson Heart Institute at Thomas Jefferson University has found that since the early 1990s, the risk of infection in patients that have either a pacemaker or defibrillator has more than doubled. The researchers suggest that the cause of this spike in the rate of infections may be that heart patients are sicker than they were twenty years ago.

For the research, the team, led by Dr. Arnold J. Greenspon, looked at hospital discharge records from a national database. Their research revealed an increase of more than 200 percent between 1993 and 2008 in the number of infections related to a permanent pacemaker or implantable defibrillator, both referred to as cardiac electrophysiological devices (CIEDs).

Greenspon, a professor of medicine at Jefferson Medical College and director of cardiac electrophysiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, believes that this significant increase in the rate of infections in patients with CIEDs is a result of much of that patient population having several other major health problems in addition to having a cardiac device. Sicker patients mean a higher rate infection.

The study, which is published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, also notes that male patients over the age of 65 had the highest rate of infection.

While many infections are unavoidable, countless infections that develop in a hospital or following a procedure can be prevented if proper care is given. If you or a loved one has been hurt or died as a result of a preventable infection and you have questions about the quality of the medical care received, please contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos for answers. We have helped clients with Queens medical malpractice, Bronx medical malpractice, Brooklyn medical malpractice, Manhattan medical malpractice and Long Island medical malpractice matters.

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Heart Defects in Young Athletes Often Misdiagnosed by Cardiologists

Each year in the United States, about 76 young athletes die suddenly during practice or a game as a result of cardiac arrest. Consequently, some experts have recommended that electrocardiograms (ECGs) be required in these athletes to screen for certain heart defects.

Screening for heart defects may help prevent sudden cardiac death in these young people, however it is only beneficial when a doctor correctly reads the test results. A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics has found that many pediatric heart doctors misinterpret ECGs, leaving dangerous abnormalities undiagnosed. The study noted that about 32 percent of the time, pediatric cardiologists missed an abnormality, while a heart abnormality was incorrectly diagnosed about 30 percent of the time.

When an ECG is performed, the electrical impulses that are generated by the heart’s beat are measured. The test can detect certain conditions of the heart, as well as irregularities in the heart’s rhythm, when its results are correctly interpreted. For the study, researchers asked 53 pediatric cardiologists to interpret the results of 18 ECGs performed on teens with and without a heart defect. The doctors correctly read 12.4 of the 18 tests, on average.

According to lead study author Dr. Allison Hill, a pediatric resident at Stanford University, hypertonic cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in young people. This type of heart disease occurs when the heart muscle thickens, making it extremely difficult for it to pump blood.

The sudden cardiac death of a young person is an extremely painful occurrence, especially when it could have been prevented by a proper diagnosis. If your child’s heart defect went undiagnosed, resulting in permanent disability or death, call or email the cardiac malpractice attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, P.C. today. Our experienced legal team can answer your questions and review your possible case free of charge. We have helped clients with Bronx cardiac malpractice, Brooklyn cardiac malpractice, Queens cardiac malpractice, Manhattan cardiac malpractice and Long Island cardiac malpractice cases.

Call us toll-free, 1-877-ASK4SAM