Sternal wound infections following open heart surgery - a review
Tomas Gudbjartsson1, Anders Jeppsson2, Johan Sjögren3
1a Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery , Landspitali University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland , Reykjavik , Iceland.
Abstract:
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common complications after open heart surgery. Fortunately, most are superficial and respond to minor wound debridement and antibiotics. However, 1-3% of patients develop deep sternal wound infections that can be fatal. Late infections with sternocutaneous fistulas, are encountered less often, but represent a complex surgical problem. This evidence-based review covers etiology, risk factors, prevention and treatment of sternal SSIs following open heart surgery with special focus on advances in treatment, especially negative-pressure wound therapy.
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