Cost and Outcomes of Implantable Cardiac Electronic Device Infections in Victoria, Australia

© 2019 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) Background: Implantable cardiac electronic device (ICED) infections are associated with significant morbidity, mortality and cost. The aim of this study was to perform the first analysis for the cost of ICED infection in Australia. Secondary aims were to provide an update on the incidence, burden and outcomes of ICED infections and an analysis of the hospital ICD-10 codes used for ICED infection admissions. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of ICED implantations and infections in the Barwon Health region (BH) and the state of Victoria (Vic) from January 2010 to December 2015 inclusive. Results: Sensitivity of ICD-10 code T82.7 was 63.4% (95% CI 46.9–77.8) and specificity was 14.5% (95% CI 9.9–21.1). Infection rates were 1.4 admissions/100,000 persons/year (SD 0.7) in BH and estimated to be 7.9 admissions/100,000 persons/year (95% CI 6.8–9.0) in Vic. Average cost of infection was $670,334/year in BH and estimated to be $14,879,979/year in Vic. Conclusion: Rates of ICED infection are decreasing in Victoria. Infections are associated with significant morbidity and cost.