Klug et al34 1997 57 Pacemaker lead endocarditis Plan for initial device removal and parenteral antibiotic therapy removal 2 after removal); 26.9% mortality at end of follow-up O Nunain et al84 1997 21 ICD infection Total system removal in 15; partial system removal in 2; no explantation in 4. All received parenteral antibiotics 1.75 No clinical recurrence of infection; 1 sudden death (1) IV antibiotics without device system removal with 2 weeks of parenteral antimicrobials (n 19); (3) complete removal with 6 weeks of parenteral antimicrobials 0.75 to 5 y 100% Failure and 17% mortality in those treated conservatively; no deaths or recurrent infections in the groups treated with device removal Cacoub et al42 1998 33 Definite pacemaker endocarditis Lead removal and prolonged subsequent antibiotic therapy Chua et al37 2000 123 Patients with either pacemaker (n 87) or ICD (n 36) infections Extraction in 95% with antibiotic therapy (median 28 days) 2001 51 Patients with device-related infections not candidates for surgery (from survey of providers) Long-term suppressive antibiotics (3 mo to 10 y) Not specified 3 Developed relapsing infection del Rio et al40 2003 31 Pacemaker or ICD endocarditis Initial conservative therapy (n 7); surgical removal (n 24) 3.17 Initial conservative therapy: 100% relapse, 1 death; initial surgical therapy: 1 relapse, 3 deaths Rundstrom et al86 episodes in 38 patients) Pacemaker removal in 28 episodes, conservative therapy in Not specified 64% Infection-free in group with pacemaker removal; 19% infection-free in conservative-therapy group Sohail et al37 2007 189 Patients with CDI Initial surgical removal in 183 (96%); removal after failure of medical therapy in 3 (2%); all received parenteral antimicrobial therapy, most for at least 2 wk 0.48 3.7% In-hospital mortality; of those followed up after discharge, 5% relapse or persistent pocket infection; 95% infection-free at end of follow-up Sohail et al87 2008 44 Pacemaker or ICD endocarditis (from 2007 series with CDI) Surgical removal in 43 (98%) with parenteral antimicrobial therapy thorough patient education should be conducted for early identification of CIED-related infectious complications. 