Vitamin D Deficiency and Driveline Infections in Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices

ABSTRACT Background Despite major advancements in the field of durable left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), driveline infection is a major source of morbidity and mortality. Risk factors have been proposed, but few are modifiable. We evaluated vitamin D deficiency as a potential modifiable risk factor for driveline infection. Methods and Results This single‐center, retrospective study included 134 LVAD recipients between 2010 and 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on their pre‐implant vitamin D levels: the vitamin D sufficient group (≥ 30 ng/mL) and the vitamin D deficient group (< 30 ng/mL). The Kaplan–Meier method estimated 18‐month freedom from driveline infection. The Cox proportional hazards model estimated the effect of vitamin D deficiency on driveline infections. Kaplan–Meier estimates for infection‐free survival were significantly higher in the sufficient group (90.5% vs. 69.6%, p = 0.014). Vitamin D deficiency (HR: 3.644, 95% CI: 1.271–10.448, p = 0.016) and obesity (HR: 3.190, 95% CI: 1.464–7.400, p = 0.004) were found to be independent risk factors for driveline infection. Conclusion Our findings support vitamin D deficiency as a potential modifiable risk factor for driveline infection. Obesity was also noted as a significant risk factor for infection. Further research is warranted to establish causality and assess the impact of vitamin D repletion on infection rates.