Survey on Sternal Wound Management in the Italian Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Units

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
• Wound Management
• Intensive Care Nursing

Background:

• Literature review reveals a deficit in standardized pediatric guidelines for post-cardiac surgery wound care.
• Existing practices for managing surgical wounds in pediatric cardiac patients are not uniform.
• Lack of established protocols impacts consistent patient care and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current cardiac surgical wound management practices in Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units.
• To identify variations in protocols and staff responsibilities for wound care.
• To assess the prevalence of wound infection monitoring protocols.

Main Methods:

• An online questionnaire was distributed to all 13 Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units.
• Data collected focused on existing protocols, staff roles, and infection monitoring methods.
• Response rate was 77%, with 10 units participating.

Main Results:

• Ten out of 13 units (77%) reported having a protocol for cardiac surgical wound management.
• Registered nurses and physicians jointly manage wounds in 69% of units.
• Only 38% of units have a specific protocol for monitoring wound infections, often relying on written shift reports (54%).

Conclusions:

• This survey highlights significant diversity in wound management treatments and a lack of specific protocols in Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units.
• Variations in care underscore the need for developing standardized pediatric cardiac surgical wound management guidelines.
• Further research is needed to address the identified gaps in consistent and evidence-based wound care practices.