Treatment of Infections Associated with Surgical Implants

Abstract

About half of all nosocomial infections are associated with indwelling devices. Infections associated with implanted surgical devices are particularly difficult to deal with because they can require prolonged antibiotic treatment and repeated surgical procedures. This review summarizes the diagnostic challenges and explains the approaches to managing infections that are associated with various devices, including prosthetic heart valves, vascular grafts, pacemakers and defibrillators, and joint prostheses.