title: Vacuum-assisted suction drainage versus conventional treatment in the management of poststernotomy osteomyelitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of our study was to compare vacuum-assisted suction drainage (VASD) to conventional wound management, in the treatment of poststernotomy osteomyelitis (SOM).
  
  
  METHODS
  We included a total of 42 patients that developed poststernotomy osteomyelitis and required open wound management, between 1998 and 2000, in this study. Twenty of these patients were treated by VASD and the other 22 by conventional wound management. The patients were well comparable with regards to age, presenting postoperative day, infecting organism and risk factors for osteomyelitis. This was a retrospective study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients treated by VASD had a significantly reduced treatment duration (mean 17.2+/-5.8 vs. 22.9+/-10.8 days, P=0.009) and total hospital stay (mean 27.2+/-6.5 vs. 33.0+/-11.0 days, P=0.03). Perioperative mortality was similar, with one early death in each group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude from our experience in the treatment of 42 patients with poststernotomy osteomyelitis that VASD shortened wound healing and hospital stay and thus proved to be an excellent alternative to conventional open management of these wounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic- and Cardiovascular Surgery, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor Stern Kai 7, 60599 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. mirkodoss@aol.com
authors.forename: Mirko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doss
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martens
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.forename: Jahn D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moritz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods; D014618:Vacuum; D014945:Wound Healing