title: Sternal wound infections.
abstract: Deep sternal wound infections (DSWI) continue to be a relatively uncommon event occurring in about 1%-2% of all patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, the sheer number of cardiac surgery patients and the relatively high mortality associated with DSWIs makes them of clinical relevance. This review will describe the current incidence of DSWIs and their associated morbidity and mortality as well as risk factors for the development of this complication. The microbiology of DSWIs will be reviewed and strategies to prevent these complications will be discussed with a focus on interventions that may be undertaken by the clinical anesthesiologist.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN 55905, USA. mauermann.william@mayo.edu
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mauermann
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sampathkumar
authors.forename: Rodney L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D013249:Sternum / Q000382:microbiology*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control