Complications after the implantation of a cardiac device vary considerably from one hospital to the other

The risks of complications for patients after implantation of a cardiac device vary depending on where they undergo the procedure.

A study of 174 hospitals in Australia and New Zealand published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that the quality of care received can explain the wide variation in the rate of complications after the insertion of an implantable cardiovascular electronic device (EDIC).

The study included 81,304 patients who received a new CIED with 65,711 permanent pacemakers and 15,593 implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

Permanent pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators are among the most common and costly devices implanted in hospitals. "

CIED complications are common in 8.2% of patients implanted with new devices with a major complication related to the device within 90 days of their operation. The complications experienced by the patients vary from 2 to 3 times in the hospitals, which suggests a significant variation in the quality of care of the CIED. "

Lead author of the study, Dr. Isuru Ranasinghe of the University of Adelaide, lead cardiologist, local health network of the center of Adelaide

Last year, nearly 19,000 pacemakers and more than 4,000 defibrillators were implanted in Australia alone. Pacemakers are often suitable for elderly people with bradycardia whose heart beats too slowly. They use electrical impulses to induce the heart to beat at a normal pace. Cardioverter defibrillators track a person's heart rate and, if an abnormal heart rhythm is detected, the device sends an electric shock to restore the heart rate to normal.

"Serious complications can cause significant harm to patients and increase the avoidable costs of health care. About 60% of these complications occur after leaving the hospital. As a result, many doctors and hospitals may not be fully aware of the complications experienced by their patients, "says Dr. Ranasinghe.

Associate Professor Anand Ganesan, co-investigator of the study and cardiac electrophysiologist at Flinders Medical Center, says, "What this study shows, in fact, is that we should systematically report complication rates in hospitals to make them fully visible to clinicians, hospitals and the community at large, and we should also invest in proven strategies to reduce them, such as the optimization of procedural techniques, the adoption of better infections and management of anticoagulant drugs along with the procedures. "

Dr. Ranasinghe said:

Encouraging hospitals to participate in quality improvement activities such as checking complications and maintaining clinical-grade records also helps reduce complications over time. "