New Study of Medicare Patients Presented at 2013 Heart Rhythm Society Meeting
Nearly 50% of Patients with Cardiac Device Infections Don’t Survive Beyond Three Years
<0> TYRX, Inc.Robert White, 732-246-8676President and Chief Executive OfficerorFor Media:Kureczka/Martin AssociatesJoan Kureczka, 415-690-0210 </0>
The incremental mortality in implantable pacemaker and defibrillator recipients who experience a device infection, compared to patients without device infection, is substantial and persists for at least three years after index hospitalization with infection. These are the key findings of a retrospective cohort study of 200,219 Medicare fee-for-service patients undergoing cardiac device procedures, with and without infection, that were presented today by M. Rizwan Sohail, MD, a researcher from the Mayo Clinic Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Cardiovascular Diseases, at Heart Rhythm 2013, the Heart Rhythm Society’s 34 Annual Scientific Sessions.
Previously, Dr. Sohail and his collaborators have reported that patients with cardiac device infections experience a two-fold increase in the mortality rate one year after device implantation, compared to patients without an infection. In this new study, Dr. Sohail and collaborators looked at the long-term mortality three years after the device procedure in 200,219 Medicare beneficiaries that underwent permanent pacemaker and defibrillator procedures between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007, including 5817 patients with cardiac device infections.
Key findings of the study included:
“It is well known that cardiac device therapies such as pacemakers, implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronization therapy/defibrillators (CRT-Ds) can reduce morbidity and mortality in appropriately selected patients,” stated Dr. Sohail, “Unfortunately, these benefits can be significantly reduced, if the implantation/replacement procedure is complicated by a device infection. The focus of this study was to better understand the long-term mortality associated with CIED infections, stratified for different cardiac device types.”
This study was funded by TYRX, Inc.
Heart Rhythm 2013 is the most comprehensive educational program for heart rhythm professionals, featuring more than 250 educational sessions and more than 130 exhibitors showcasing innovative products and services. The Heart Rhythm Society’s Annual Scientific Sessions have become the must-attend event of the year, allowing the exchange of new vital ideas and information among colleagues from every corner of the globe.
TYRX, Inc. commercializes innovative, implantable combination drug+device products focused on infection control, including the AIGISRx Antibacterial Envelope, designed to reduce surgical site infections associated with Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (CIEDs). AIGISRx products contain the antimicrobial agents, rifampin and minocycline, which have been shown to reduce infection by pathogens responsible for the majority of CIED infections, including “superbugs” such as methicillin-resistant . (MRSA).*
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*Data on file at TYRX and published Hansen . 2009; 32(7):898-907.