[Surveillance and prevention of infections after open heart surgery]

From October 1987 to December 1989, bacteriological surveillance was done after open heart surgery in 100 patients with cardiovascular diseases (54 with congenital, 44 with rheumatic, and 2 with other types of heart disease). The time of bypass was 58 to 234 minutes (mean = 98.7 minutes). The positive rate of culture was 5% for blood, 40% for sputum, and 15% for pericardial drainage. Many types of bacteria were separated. Most of them were conditional pathogenic bacteria. Postoperative infection was found in 9 patients, (bacteremia in 1 and pulmonary infection in 8.) Tracheostomy was done in 5 cases. In discussion, the authors think that the low defensive ability of the patients with serious heart disease is usually further damaged by bacterial invasion after open heart surgery and that bacterial contamination should be reduced in order to prevent postoperative infection.