What considerations must be taken into account when diagnosing and managing device infections in pediatric patients?
When diagnosing and managing device infections in pediatric patients, there must be a thorough evaluation of the need to remove all components of the device. This includes a review of the patient's ongoing need for the device; if the device therapy is no longer required, it should be removed. Epicardial and other nontransvenous systems in use can necessitate extensive surgical procedures for complete device removal, including a full or limited sternotomy or thoracotomy. Therefore, the suspicion of device-component infection must be balanced against the risk of surgical removal.