title: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy with topical negative pressure: an alternative treatment for the refractory sternal wound infection.
abstract: Sternal osteomyelitis is a potentially lethal complication after cardiac surgery. It may be the cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality. We present a case of deep sternal wound infection after sternotomy. The patient received three treatments of surgical debridement, irrigation, topical negative pressure (TNP) dressing, and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. Forty-five HBO therapy sessions were administered. After nine weeks, the sternal wound was healed and completely epithelialized. This conservative therapy can be an alternative and inexpensive method for the difficult sternal wound infection patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: I-Feng
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Su-Shin
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chaw-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Sin-Daw
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chung-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D014945:Wound Healing