title: Hardware preservation after sternal wound infection in a lung transplant recipient.
abstract: Sternal wound infections can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Managing these complications is particularly challenging when infected hardware is involved. Traditional thinking mandates removal of infected hardware, yet this hardware is often essential to chest wall stability in the early postoperative period. Here, we present a case of an infected transverse sternotomy wound involving hardware in a lung transplant patient whose treatment included successful hardware preservation. Our experience and other experiences reported in the literature highlight the alternatives in the management of this complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Center for Thoracic Transplantation, the Heart & Lung Institute of Saint Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85013, USA. jordan.jacobs@chw.edu
authors.forename: Jordan V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Tony N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Ross M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bremner
authors.forename: Rajat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walia
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001860:Bone Plates / Q000382:microbiology*; D001863:Bone Screws / Q000382:microbiology*; D017576:Daptomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003646:Debridement / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000601:surgery*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D000069349:Linezolid; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011182:Postoperative Care; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D056346:Sternotomy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D058106:Wound Closure Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D000069349:Linezolid; D017576:Daptomycin