[Current approaches to the prevention of infectious complications in heart surgery]

Due to changes of humoral immunity, patients with rheumatic heart disease present, even before the operation, a high-risk group with regard to the development of infectious complications. Contamination of intraoperative material was revealed in 61.7% of cases during the operation. Extracorporeal circulation increases the cefotaxime half-life period which is in direct proportional dependence of the period of time between the beginning of the administration of the agent and the beginning of extracorporeal circulation. Immunocorrection by means of myelopid in the early postoperative period accelerates restoration of cellular and humoral immunity, and reduces the frequency of pneumonia occurrence and suppuration of the postoperative wound. Therefore, the prevention of infectious complications after operations on an open heart should be complex and should include broad-spectrum antibiotics and immunocorrective therapy.