title: The cost of vacuum-assisted closure therapy in treatment of deep sternal wound infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Surgical sites infections are very expensive and the total costs for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery followed by deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) with conventional therapy are estimated to be 2.8 times that for normal, CABG surgery. Promising results have been reported with vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy in patients with DSWI. This study presents the cost of VAC therapy in patients with DSWI after CABG surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight CABG patients with DSWI, between 2001 and 2005, were treated with VAC therapy. The cost of surgery, intensive care, ward care, laboratory tests and other costs were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No three-month mortality or recurrent infection was observed. The average cost of CABG procedure and treatment of DSWI was 2.5 times higher than the mean cost of CABG alone. No significant correlations were found between the preoperative EuroSCORE and the cost of DSWI therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VAC therapy for patients who underwent CABG surgery followed by DSWI seems to be cost effective, and has low mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. arash.mokhtari@med.lu.se
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mokhtari
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sjögren
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malmsjö
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ingemansson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000191:economics*; D012042:Registries; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents