Influence of deep sternal wound infection on long-term survival after cardiac surgery.
BACKGROUND
This study aimed to investigate the influence of deep sternal wound infection on long-term survival following cardiac surgery.


METHODS
In our institutional database we retrospectively evaluated medical records of 4732 adult patients who received open-heart surgery from January 1995 through December 2005. The predictive factors for DSWI were determined using logistic regression analysis. Then, each patient with deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) was matched with 2 controls without DSWI, according to the risk factors identified previously. After checking balance resulting from matching, short-term mortality was compared between groups using a paired test, and long-term survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox proportional hazard model.


RESULTS
Overall, 4732 records were analyzed. The mean age of the investigated population was 69.3±12.8 years. DSWI occurred in 74 (1.56%) patients. Significant independent predictive factors for deep sternal infections were active smoking (OR 2.19, CI95 1.35-3.53, p=0.001), obesity (OR 1.96, CI95 1.20-3.21, p=0.007), and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (OR 2.09, CI95 1.05-10.06, p=0.016). Mean follow-up in the matched set was 125 months, IQR 99-162. After matching, in-hospital mortality was higher in the DSWI group (8.1% vs. 2.7% p=0.03), but DSWI was not an independent predictor of long-term survival (adjusted HR 1.5, CI95 0.7-3.2, p=0.33).


CONCLUSIONS
The results presented in this report clearly show that post-sternotomy deep wound infection does not influence long-term survival in an adult general cardio-surgical patient population.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Lausanne, Switzerland.
Sebastian
S
Colombier
Ulf
U
Kessler
Enrico
E
Ferrari
Ludwig K
LK
von Segesser
Denis A
DA
Berdajs
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013249:Sternum / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology