[Postoperative infections related to pacing wires, pulmonary arterial catheters, and drainage tubes temporarily inserted during open-heart surgery].
Bacterial examinations of temporary pacing wires (P-wires), pulmonary arterial (P-A) catheters, and drainage tubes temporarily inserted during open-heart surgery were performed in 213 patients. Bacteria were detected in 19 (2.8%) of 672 specimens gathered from the subject patients, with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) being most frequently observed. P-wires accounted for 17 out of 19 of the culture-positive specimens, and 7 of the P-wires remained in place for more than two weeks. The frequency of infection with the P-wires was significantly higher than with the P-A catheters or drainage tubes. The period of time that the P-wire was left in place significantly longer than for P-A catheter or drainage tube. There was, however, no statistically significant difference between the culture-positive and negative groups in respect to age, detention periods, operation times, CPB times, or length of ICU stay. As a result of these findings, we have concluded that P-wires should be removed as soon as possible following surgery, and in any case, a meticulous care should be taken to prevent transcutaneous infection.
Kanoh
M
M
Second Department of Surgery, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
Ishikawa
S
S
Suzuki
M
M
Otaki
A
A
Takahashi
T
T
Satoh
Y
Y
Koyano
T
T
Hasegawa
Y
Y
Yamagishi
T
T
Morishita
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification