BACKGROUND: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is traditionally used to treat postoperative wound infections. However, its use in closed wound sternotomy post cardiac surgery in high-risk patients has become increasingly popular. The potential preventive benefit of reducing sternal wound infections has been recently acknowledged. Bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) grafts are used in coronary artery bypass grafting but have been associated with an increased risk of sternal wound infections (SWIs).
OBJECTIVE: This systematic analysis examines whether NPWT can reduce the incidence of SWI following BIMA grafts, leading to more patients benefiting from the better survival outcome associated with BIMA grafting.
METHODS: A comprehensive systematic search and meta-analysis were performed to identify studies on the use of NPWT in closed wound sternotomy. Ovid MEDLINE (in-process and other nonindexed citations and Ovid MEDLINE 1990 to present), Ovid EMBASE (1990 to present), and The Cochrane Library (Wiley), PubMed, and Google Scholar databases were searched from their inception to May 2022 using keywords and MeSH terms. Thirty-four articles from 1991 to May 2022 were selected.
RESULTS: Three studies reported on the outcome of NPWT following BIMA grafting. The pooled analysis did not show any significant difference in the incidence of sternal wound infection between NPWT and standard dressing (RR 0.48 95% CI 0.17-1.37; P = 0.17) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 65%). Another seven studies were found comparing the outcome of SWI incidence of negative pressure closed wound therapy with conventional wound therapy in patients undergoing adult cardiac surgery. The pooled analysis showed that NPWT was associated with a low risk of SWIs compared to conventional dressing (RR 0.47 95% CI 0.36-0.59; P < 0.00001), with low heterogeneity (I2 1%).
CONCLUSIONS: The literature identified that NPWT significantly decreased the incidence of sternal wound complications when applied to sutured sternotomy incisions in high-risk patients, and in some cases, it eliminated the risk. However, the inadequate number of randomized controlled trials assessing the effectiveness of NPWT in BIMA grafting emphasizes the need for further, robust studies.

A meta-analysis research was executed to appraise the effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on sternal wound healing (SWH). Inclusive literature research till April 2023 was done and 1098 interconnected researches were revised. The 11 picked researches, enclosed 8961 cardiac surgery (CS) persons were in the utilised researchers\' starting point, 3663 of them were utilising PRP, and 5298 were control. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilised to appraise the effect of PRP on the SWH by the dichotomous approach and a fixed or random model. PRP had significantly lower sternal wound infection (SWI) (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03-0.34, p < 0.001), deep SWI (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.16-0.51, p < 0.001), and superficial SWI (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.13-0.33, p < 0.001), compared to control in CS persons. PRP had significantly lower SWI, deep SWI, and superficial SWI, compared to control in CS persons. However, caution must be taken when interacting with its values since there was a low sample size of some of the nominated research found for the comparisons in the meta-analysis.

UNASSIGNED: The majority of studies examining deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) prevention focus on ameliorating 1 variable at a time. There is a paucity of data regarding the synergistic effects of combining clinical and environmental interventions. This article describes an interdisciplinary, multimodal approach to eliminate DSWIs at a large community hospital.
UNASSIGNED: We developed a robust, multidisciplinary infection prevention team to evaluate and act in all phases of perioperative care to achieve a cardiac surgery DSWI rate of 0, named: the I hate infections team. The team identified opportunities for improved care and best practices and implemented changes on an ongoing basis.
UNASSIGNED: Patient-related interventions consisted of preoperative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus identification, individualized perioperative antibiotics, antimicrobial dosing strategies, and maintenance of normothermia. Operative-related interventions involved glycemic control, sternal adhesives, medications and hemostasis, rigid sternal fixation for high-risk patients, chlorhexidine gluconate dressings over invasive lines, and use of disposable health care equipment. Environment-related interventions included optimizing operating room ventilation and terminal cleaning, reducing airborne particle counts, and decreasing foot traffic. Together, these interventions reduced the DSWI incidence from 1.6% preintervention to 0% for 12 consecutive months after full bundle implementation.
UNASSIGNED: A multidisciplinary team focused on eliminating DSWI identified known risk factors and implemented evidence-based interventions in each phase of care to ameliorate risk. Although the influence of each individual intervention on DSWI remains unknown, use of the bundled infection prevention approach reduced the incidence to 0 for the first 12 months after implementation.

A serious complication after cardiac surgery is sternal wound infection. Although incidence rates vary worldwide, this complication raises significant concern in a certain patient demographic. This article uses risk assessment strategies to identify a high-risk patient profile and draws parallels with positive predictors in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative setting. It describes the complexity of sternal wound infections and highlights guidelines on detection and treatment. The optimal goal of this article is to help minimise the incidence of sternal wound complications after sternotomy by discussing recommendations for preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative preventive measures.

This is a consensus document of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES). These three entities have brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts that includes anaesthesiologists, cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons, clinical microbiologists, infectious diseases and intensive care specialists, internal medicine doctors and radiologists. Despite the clinical and economic consequences of sternal wound infections, to date, there are no specific guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of mediastinitis based on a multidisciplinary consensus. The purpose of the present document is to provide evidence-based guidance on the most effective diagnosis and management of patients who have experienced or are at risk of developing a post-surgical mediastinitis infection in order to optimise patient outcomes and the process of care. The intended users of the document are health care providers who help patients make decisions regarding their treatment, aiming to optimise the benefits and minimise any harm as well as the workload.

BACKGROUND: Poor glycemic control has been associated with an increased risk of wound complications after various types of operations. However, it remains unclear how hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and preoperative glycemia can be used in clinical decision-making to prevent sternal wound complications (SWC) following off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 1774 consecutive patients who underwent OPCAB surgery between January 2010 and November 2016. A new four-grade classification for SWC was used. The associations of HbA1c and preoperative glycemia with incidence and grade of SWC were analysed using logistic regression analysis and proportional odds models, respectively.
RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 326 days (interquartile range (IQR) 21-1261 days), SWC occurred in 133/1316 (10%) of non-diabetes and 82/458 (18%) of diabetes patients (p < 0.001). Higher HbA1c was significantly associated with a higher incidence of SWC (odds ratio, OR 1.24 per 1% increase, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.04;1.48, p = 0.016) as well as a higher grade of SWC (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.06;1.48, p = 0.010). There was no association between glycemia and incidence (p = 0.539) nor grade (p = 0.607) of SWC. Significant modifiers of these effects were found: HbA1c was associated with SWC in diabetes patients younger than 70 years (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17;1.71, p < 0.001), whereas it was not in those older than 70 years. Glycemia was associated with SWC in patients who underwent non-urgent surgery (OR 2.48, 95% CI 1.26;4.88, p = 0.009), in diabetes patients who received skeletonised grafts (OR 4.83, 95% CI 1.28;18.17, p = 0.020), and in diabetes patients with a BMI < 30 (OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.01;4.76, p = 0.047), whereas it was not in the counterparts of these groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Under certain conditions, HbA1c and glycemia are associated SWC following OPCAB. These findings are helpful in planning the procedure with minimal risk of SWC.

A decrease in the infection rates in the operating room (OR) is attributable to advances in sterile technique; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) filtration; and limiting the number of people entering and leaving the OR. However, some infection complications after open heart procedures have been linked to the discharge fans of surgical equipment, most notably from the LivaNova 3T. We believe that surgical infection within the OR may also be due to other devices with internal fans. The purpose of this study was to 1) identify surgical equipment with an internal fan and see how they affect the airflow in an OR, 2) use the equipment to positively affect airflow to possibly reduce the risk of surgical site infections, and 3) bring attention to the HVAC system ability to exchange air throughout the OR. By using a fog machine and multiple camera angles, we identified the devices that have an effect on the airflow. We saw that the direction of the intake vent of specific devices can change the direction of airflow and possibly help to remove air. Last, we showed how the current HVAC air exchange rate might not be enough to remove contaminated air within the OR. Understanding intake and discharge vents for all equipment is important because sterile contamination and wound infection may be minimized or mitigated completely by simply repositioning a few devices.

UNASSIGNED: To summarize the AATS guidelines for the prevention and treatment of sternal wound infections.
UNASSIGNED: The current AATS guidelines for the prevention of sternal wound infections during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods, and the most effective methods and techniques to treat sternal wound infections were reviewed.
UNASSIGNED: The guidelines identified multiple interventions that can be instituted during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods to reduce sternal wound infections during cardiac surgery. These include the use of perioperative antibiotics, glycemic control to maintain serum glucose < 180 mg/dl, avoidance of bone wax and the use of vancomycin paste to the sternal edges, and figure of eight suture techniques to re-approximate the sternum. Wound Vac therapy should be instituted whenever possible to treat and enhance recovery from mediastinitis.
UNASSIGNED: The prevention of sternal wound infections and mediastinitis can be achieved by adherence to the AATS guidelines. The institution of these interventions requires a multi-disciplinary team effort among surgeons, anesthesiologists, referring physicians, nurses, and OR and ICU personnel.

Surgical site infection (SSI) can be a significant complication of cardiac surgery, delaying recovery and acting as a barrier to enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery. Several risk factors predisposing patients to SSI including smoking, excessive alcohol intake, hyperglycemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypo- or hyperthermia, and Staphylococcus aureus colonization are discussed. Various measures can be taken to abolish these factors and minimize the risk of SSI. Glycemic control should be optimized preoperatively, and hyperglycemia should be avoided perioperatively with the use of intravenous insulin infusions. All patients should receive topical intranasal Staphylococcus aureus decolonization and intravenous cephalosporin if not penicillin allergic.

BACKGROUND: Sternal wound infection (SWI) is a devastating postcardiac surgical complication. D-PLEX100 (D-PLEX) is a localized prolonged release compound applied as a prophylactic at the completion of surgery to prevent SWI. The D-PLEX technology platform is built as a matrix of alternating layers of polymers and lipids, entrapping an antibiotic (doxycycline). The objective of this study was to assess the safety profile and pharmacokinetics of D-PLEX in reducing SWI rates postcardiac surgery.
METHODS: Eighty-one patients were enrolled in a prospective single-blind randomized controlled multicenter study. Sixty patients were treated with both D-PLEX and standard of care (SOC) and 21 with SOC alone. Both groups were followed 6 months for safety endpoints. SWI was assessed at 90 days.
RESULTS: No SWI-related serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred in either group. The mean plasma Cmax in patients treated with D-PLEX was about 10 times lower than the value detected following the oral administration of doxycycline hyclate with an equivalent overall dose, and followed by a very low plasma concentration over the next 30 days. There were no sternal infections in the D-PLEX group (0/60) while there was one patient with a sternal infection in the control group (1/21, 4.8%).
CONCLUSIONS: D-PLEX was found to be safe for use in cardiac surgery patients. By providing localized prophylactic prolonged release of broad-spectrum antibiotics, D-PLEX has the potential to prevent SWI postcardiac surgery and long-term postoperative hospitalization, reducing high-treatment costs, morbidity, and mortality.