title: New trends in prosthesis infection in cardiovascular surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adult cardiovascular surgery entails, in many cases, the use of some kind of prosthesis. Among the potential complications, prosthetic device infection is one of the most devastating in incidence, as well as in prognosis and damage to surrounding tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common bacterial agents in vascular and cardiac prosthetic device infections are Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis among gram-positive bacteria and Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa among gram-negative bacteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The alternative modalities of treatment for prosthetic device infection encompass partial or total explantation of the prosthesis and its replacement with an infection-resistant graft (e.g., homologous tissue, autologous tissue, or synthetic prosthesis bonded with antibiotics).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Sciences, Division of Vascular Surgery and Research Centre for the Study and Application of New Technologies in Vascular Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. patrizio.castelli@uninsubria.it
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castelli
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caronno
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrarese
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mantovani
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piffaretti
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tozzi
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lomazzi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rivolta
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013504:Cardiovascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000145:classification; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*