Document Type
Editorial
Abstract
Patients with ventricular assist device (VAD) driveline infections (DLI) have reduced quality of life and increased risk of severe complications, such as sepsis, hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke, and wound infections. The management of VAD patients imposes a significant financial burden due to prolonged in-hospital stays, frequent re-admissions, expensive diagnostics, and the need for antibiotic therapy and/or surgical intervention. There is considerable room for improvement in DLI management, particularly in the early detection and treatment stages. Ultrasound, an easily applicable device available in almost every hospital, offers an unrecognized potential for the early detection of DLI. By increasing awareness about the potential advantages of ultrasound in DLI management, especially in specialized tertiary centers with a high number of VAD patients, this method may contribute to creating valuable databases, establishing recommendations, and improving outcomes.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Krzelj, Kristina; Tokic, Tomislav; Kopjar, Tomislav; Cikes, Maja; Milicic, Davor; and Gasparovic, Hrvoje
(2024)
"Ultrasound – An Underutilized Diagnostic Tool For Ventricular Assist Device Driveline Infections,"
The VAD Journal: Vol. 10(1)
:e20241011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58464/2378-2706.1059
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/vad/vol10/iss1/1
First Page
e20241011
Included in
Cardiology Commons, Cardiovascular System Commons, Surgery Commons