Glomerulonephritis and Septic Pulmonary Embolism: A Rare but Life-Threatening Complication of Permanent Pacemaker Implantation

Cureus. 2024 Apr 13;16(4):e58196. doi: 10.7759/cureus.58196. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Abstract

Infection-related glomerulonephritis (IRGN) is an immunologically mediated glomerular injury triggered by an extrarenal infection. Infective endocarditis-associated glomerular nephritis is an entity caused by infection of the cardiac valves. IRGN is most common in children, and post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) is commonest in the age group of 2-14 years. In contrast to childhood PSGN and epidemic PSGN, which usually resolve completely with antibiotics, IRGN in adults has a guarded prognosis. Cardiovascular implantable electronic device-associated infective endocarditis (CIED-IE) is a phenomenon for which the incidence is on the rise (0.1-5.1%). The most frequent CIED-IE pathogens were staphylococci or other Gram-positive bacteria. CIED-IE poses difficult management problems for the clinician. We present the case of a 50-year-old patient with a pacemaker who was found to have infective endocarditis and septic embolism.

Keywords: cardiac device-related infective endocarditis; cardiac implant-associated infective endocarditis; glomerulonephritis (gn); infection-related glomerulonephritis; infective endocarditis-associated glomerulonephritis; post-infectious glomerulonephritis; right-sided infective endocarditis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports