Prevalence of Implanted Medical Devices in Medicine Inpatients

Abstract

Implanted medical devices (IMDs) are extremely common, yet they are not systematically documented on hospital admission. Through structured patient interviews, we determined the prevalence of IMDs in hospital inpatients. Using medical record review, we evaluated the sensitivity of the medical record reporting of IMDs on an academic medical inpatient service. Fifty-eight percent of 191 interviewees reported 1 or more IMDs. Participants who reported greater than 1 IMD were older and had more frequent hospitalizations. The most common devices reported were surgical mesh, screws, plates, or wires (n = 47); intravascular stents (n = 25); and prosthetic joint replacements (n = 17). Forty-six patients (24%) reported greater than 1 IMD that had not been recorded in their admission history and physical examination. The prevalence of IMDs in hospitalized patients is high and underestimated in the medical record and may have significant implications for patient care.

Epidemiology and patients’ self-reported knowledge of implantable medical devices: Results of a cross-sectional survey in Hungary

“…To understand the impact of the new regulation from the patients' perspectives, the challenges of their involvement in the proccess and their capability to collaborate, as well as the potential need for public health interventions in this new context, basic descriptive epidemiological data on the affected people and an insight into patients' current knowledge regarding their own IMD are needed. Available studies concerning the prevalence of IMDs are restricted mainly to single-center observations and IMD-specific registries [2,3]. Moreover, patients' knowledge and its association with health outcomes have only been studied in particular IMD groups, however, comprehensive assessments covering broad spectrum of IMDs are lacking [4][5][6][7].…”

Clinical Considerations for Implanted Neurological Devices in Patients Undergoing Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy: A Case Report and Review of Manufacturer Guidelines

“…Implanted medical devices are increasingly prevalent, and as many as half of medical inpatients may have them [1]. The reason for this is twofold: first, with advancing technology, these devices are becoming more sophisticated, and this has led to a commensurate expansion of their applications in clinical care.…”

Impact of Design on Medical Device Safety

“…Medical devices (MDs) constitute an inextricable element of the modern healthcare edifice [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. Yet, in this evergrowing and ever-evolving universe of MD industry, performance and expedited approval processes often appear to be enjoying more attention to the detriment of safety concerns and proper reporting of vigilance data [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16].…”