The risk of wound infection after emergency re-sternotomy.

full aseptic technique including gown and gloves might be regarded as best practice. It is common practice also to give additional antibiotics and a povodine-iodine washout although we could identify no studies other than uncontrolled cohort studies in support of this. TD. Infectious complications and cost-effectiveness of open resuscitation in the surgical intensive care unit after cardiac surgery. Chest reexploration in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery: a safe alternative to returning to the operating theater. Unexpected cardiac arrest after cardiac surgery: incidence, predis-posing causes, and outcome of open chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation. resuscitation after cardiac surgery: a two-year study. eComment: In the case of emergency re-sternotomy – additional antibiotics yes, but an iodine washout? In our experience of patients who require an emergency re-sternotomy on the intensive care unit, the incidence of a mediastinal infection is not elevated compared with the normal cardiac surgery population. In our institution we use one additional shot of antibiotics in such circumstances, but have never performed an iodine washout as suggested by the authors w1x. Of course it is possible that our patients have just been very lucky over the last twenty years. A full aseptic technique is something to recommend and to aim for, however, it can be very difficult to put into practice when a patient needs external cardiac massage. Reference w1x Yap EYL, Levine A, Strang T, Dunning J. Should additional antibiotics or an iodine washout be given to all patients who suffer an emergency re-sternotomy on the cardiothoracic intensive care unit? Interact Is the risk of wound infection after emergency re-sternotomy independent of the place of reopening in patients following cardiac surgery? Your article has a great interest as it touches on a really debated subject concerning the additional administration of antibiotics in patients who suffer an emergency re-sternotomy on the cardiothoracic ICU w1x. Reexamining your data, it is amazing the fact that only seven papers exist, documenting the incidence of infection after emergency re-sternotomy. In addition, it is also notable that only in five of these papers, the additional intravenous administration of antibiotics, except for the common povodine-iodine wash-out is mentioned. In our opinion, there is no doubt that for the patients who require an emergency re-sternotomy on ICU, additional antibiotics should be given. Undoubtedly, the need for additional antibiotic administration mainly depends on the place of the reopening. According to the Practice Guideline from the Society of …