Nocardia

[DG]

My question is....I was in the garden a few weeks ago and got dirt in my pacemaker site..(it still had an opening) and now my culters have come back with positive Nocardia.  The ID Dr wants me to have my pacemaker removed and left out for three day's.  He has started me on Iv and oral antib.  My question is on the second set of cultures(which were taken two days after the first) came back negative.  Should the pacemaker be taken out?  It seems to me that if I had Nocardia in my pacemaker site it would of showed up on the second set of cultures. Any input would  be helpful.......Thank you

[Billy]

After stoping taking anibiotics.....when should blood cultures be tested?How many blood cultures is needed in order to know whether (any) infections have been eradicated?How many tubes of blood does one have to give for blood cultures?Thank you.Billy

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

The fact that the cultures came back negative while you were on antibiotics does not necessarily mean that any infection has been eradicated. THe antibiotics may just be suppressing the infection temporarily. Typically when there is infection in the blood, all hardware needs to come out.