title: A protective device for negative-pressure therapy in patients with mediastinitis.
abstract: A devastating complication associated with negative-pressure wound therapy (NPWT) after cardiac surgical intervention is heart rupture resulting in serious bleeding. The benefit of a rigid barrier between the underlying organs and the sharp sternal edges has been demonstrated in pigs. In the present article, we present our first 6 patients with deep sternal wound infection treated with NPWT in combination with a protective device. The median duration of NPWT was 8 days (range, 6-14 days). No major bleeding or signs of organ damage were observed. The use of a protective device seems to decrease the risk of bleeding complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Skane University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. richard.ingemansson@skane.se
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ingemansson
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malmsjö
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindstedt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000628:therapy*; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011482:Protective Devices; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*