Electrical or electrocution injury is a common accidental occurrence and mostly workplace related. Fatal arrhythmias, skin injury and sudden death may ensue. However, it is rare for electrocution to result in permanent low rate sinus bradycardia, incompatible with an active lifestyle. The probable mechanisms for this pathological sinus bradycardia are sinus node dysfunction and autonomic dysfunction with vagal predominance. We describe a young patient who suffered a non fatal electrocution with resultant low rate sinus bradycardia and its successful treatment with a dual chamber rate responsive pacemaker.
We are seeing more implantation of cardiac device such as pacemakers and defibrillators and also cardiac implantable electronic device infection. The infection may affect just the pocket site or progress to deeper infection and bacteraemia. Inadequately treated infection may lead to right sided endocarditis, cardiotomy for pacemaker explantation and increased cost and length of stay in the hospital. We report a Staphylococcal infection of a pacemaker system, its successful medical and surgical management.