i c i m s i a p d c s d t s t w A the overall incidence of postoperative deep sternal wound infections after eart surgery continues to be low, the prevention nd subsequent management of the complication till poses a daunting task for every cardiac sureon. The reported incidence ranges from 1.3% o 5% in most recent series and with a high ssociated mortality rate of 9.8% to 14%.1-3 In ddition to ...

OBJECTIVES Early microbiological diagnosis of deep sternal wound infections (DSWI) could improve outcomes by allowing targeted antibiotic treatment. This study aims to analyse the utility of superficial sternal wound swabs and blood cultures. METHODS From January 2005 to June 2011, 70 patients were prospectively identified with DSWI. Microbiological data were obtained retrospectively to study...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and predictors of deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) in a contemporary cohort of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The early and late outcomes of patients with this complication also were analyzed. DESIGN A retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing cardiac surgery using a computerized database based on the New ...

OBJECTIVES Sternal wound complications following median sternotomy remain a challenge in cardiac surgery. Changes in both patient profile and type of operations have been observed in recent years. Therefore, we analysed current wound healing complications after median sternotomy at our centre. METHODS All adult patients undergoing a median sternotomy between January 2009 and April 2011 were i...

OBJECTIVE To report our experience with the laparoscopically harvested omental flap in the treatment of deep sternal wound infection, and to present a modification and introduce two supportive techniques in the perioperative management. METHODS Between June 2005 and September 2007, six patients with grade IV (El Oakley-Wright classification) deep sternal wound infection following a median ste...