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Vacuum-assisted closure therapy guided by C-reactive protein level in patients with deep sternal wound infection.

Gustafsson, Ronny LU ; Johnsson, Per ; Algotsson, Lars LU ; Blomquist, Sten LU and Ingemansson, Richard LU (2002) In Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 123(5). p.895-900
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Deep sternal wound infection is a serious and potentially lethal complication of cardiac surgery when performed through a median sternotomy. We describe the outcome of a new treatment strategy with C-reactive protein level-guided vacuum-assisted closure used at our department. METHODS: Data from 16 consecutive adult patients who had deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery were reviewed. Patients with superficial infection or sterile dehiscence were not included. All patients with postoperative deep sternal wound infections were treated with first-line vacuum-assisted closure therapy, followed by direct surgical closure. A purpose-built vacuum-assisted closure system consisting of polyurethane foam pieces and a... (More)
BACKGROUND: Deep sternal wound infection is a serious and potentially lethal complication of cardiac surgery when performed through a median sternotomy. We describe the outcome of a new treatment strategy with C-reactive protein level-guided vacuum-assisted closure used at our department. METHODS: Data from 16 consecutive adult patients who had deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery were reviewed. Patients with superficial infection or sterile dehiscence were not included. All patients with postoperative deep sternal wound infections were treated with first-line vacuum-assisted closure therapy, followed by direct surgical closure. A purpose-built vacuum-assisted closure system consisting of polyurethane foam pieces and a special pump unit was used. The foam was placed in the wound after debridement of foreign material and necrotic tissue. The wound was covered with adhesive drape and connected to the pump unit, which was programmed to create a continuous negative pressure of 125 mm Hg in the wound cavity. Intravenous antibiotics were given according to tissue-culture results. The patients were immediately extubated after the operation. When ingrowth of granulation tissue was observed in all parts of the wound and the plasma C-reactive protein level showed a steady decline to 30 to 70 mg/L or less without confounding factors, such as tissue injuries or concomitant infections, the sternotomy was rewired, and the wound was closed. RESULTS: All patients were alive and free from deep sternal wound infection 3 months after the operation. The median vacuum-assisted closure treatment time until surgical closure was 9 days (range, 3-34 days), and the median C-reactive protein level at closure was 45 mg/L (range, 20-173 mg/L). The median hospital stay was 22 days (range, 12-120 days). CONCLUSIONS: Early vacuum-assisted closure treatment, followed by surgical closure guided by the plasma C-reactive protein level, is a reliable and easily applied new strategy in patients with postoperative deep sternal wound infection. (Less)
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Human, Follow-Up Studies, Female, Debridement : methods, Cardiac Surgical Procedures : adverse effects, C-Reactive Protein : analysis, 80 and over, Aged, Sampling Studies, Sensitivity and Specificity, Severity of Illness Index, Sternum : physiopathology, Surgical Wound Infection : surgery, Surgical Wound Infection : diagnosis, Sternum : surgery, Treatment Outcome, Vacuum, Wound Healing : physiology, Male, Middle Age, Monitoring, Physiologic : methods, Postoperative Period, Reconstructive Surgical Procedures : methods
in
Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
volume
123
issue
5
pages
895 - 900
publisher
Mosby-Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:12019374
  • wos:000175832800010
  • scopus:0036587276
ISSN
1097-685X
DOI
10.1067/mtc.2002.121306
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
444bb840-3c19-414b-9668-72a83fddf7c3 (old id 108305)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12019374&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:49:29
date last changed
2022-04-15 07:21:26
@article{444bb840-3c19-414b-9668-72a83fddf7c3,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Deep sternal wound infection is a serious and potentially lethal complication of cardiac surgery when performed through a median sternotomy. We describe the outcome of a new treatment strategy with C-reactive protein level-guided vacuum-assisted closure used at our department. METHODS: Data from 16 consecutive adult patients who had deep sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery were reviewed. Patients with superficial infection or sterile dehiscence were not included. All patients with postoperative deep sternal wound infections were treated with first-line vacuum-assisted closure therapy, followed by direct surgical closure. A purpose-built vacuum-assisted closure system consisting of polyurethane foam pieces and a special pump unit was used. The foam was placed in the wound after debridement of foreign material and necrotic tissue. The wound was covered with adhesive drape and connected to the pump unit, which was programmed to create a continuous negative pressure of 125 mm Hg in the wound cavity. Intravenous antibiotics were given according to tissue-culture results. The patients were immediately extubated after the operation. When ingrowth of granulation tissue was observed in all parts of the wound and the plasma C-reactive protein level showed a steady decline to 30 to 70 mg/L or less without confounding factors, such as tissue injuries or concomitant infections, the sternotomy was rewired, and the wound was closed. RESULTS: All patients were alive and free from deep sternal wound infection 3 months after the operation. The median vacuum-assisted closure treatment time until surgical closure was 9 days (range, 3-34 days), and the median C-reactive protein level at closure was 45 mg/L (range, 20-173 mg/L). The median hospital stay was 22 days (range, 12-120 days). CONCLUSIONS: Early vacuum-assisted closure treatment, followed by surgical closure guided by the plasma C-reactive protein level, is a reliable and easily applied new strategy in patients with postoperative deep sternal wound infection.}},
  author       = {{Gustafsson, Ronny and Johnsson, Per and Algotsson, Lars and Blomquist, Sten and Ingemansson, Richard}},
  issn         = {{1097-685X}},
  keywords     = {{Human; Follow-Up Studies; Female; Debridement : methods; Cardiac Surgical Procedures : adverse effects; C-Reactive Protein : analysis; 80 and over; Aged; Sampling Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Sternum : physiopathology; Surgical Wound Infection : surgery; Surgical Wound Infection : diagnosis; Sternum : surgery; Treatment Outcome; Vacuum; Wound Healing : physiology; Male; Middle Age; Monitoring; Physiologic : methods; Postoperative Period; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures : methods}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{895--900}},
  publisher    = {{Mosby-Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery}},
  title        = {{Vacuum-assisted closure therapy guided by C-reactive protein level in patients with deep sternal wound infection.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mtc.2002.121306}},
  doi          = {{10.1067/mtc.2002.121306}},
  volume       = {{123}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}