A Case Report of a LVAD Driveline Infection Diagnosed by Point-of-care Ultrasound
Introduction: As the prevalence of patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) presenting to the emergency department (ED) increases, clinicians must be aware of LVAD-associated infections. Case Report: A well-appearing, 41-year-old male with history of heart failure status post prior-LVAD...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/21k1g21m |
| Summary: | Introduction: As the prevalence of patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) presenting to the emergency department (ED) increases, clinicians must be aware of LVAD-associated infections. Case Report: A well-appearing, 41-year-old male with history of heart failure status post prior-LVAD placement presented to the ED for swelling of his chest. What appeared initially as a superficial infection was further assessed with point-of-care ultrasound and found to represent a chest wall abscess involving the driveline, ultimately resulting in sternal osteomyelitis and bacteremia. Conclusion: Point-of-care ultrasound should be considered an important tool in the initial assessment of potential LVAD-associated infection. |
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| ISSN: | 2474-252X |