title: Vancomycin Paste Does Not Reduce the Incidence of Deep Sternal Wound Infection After Cardiac Operations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a devastating complication that increases morbidity and death in cardiac surgical patients. Vancomycin is often administered intravenously for antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac operations. Many cardiac surgeons also apply vancomycin paste topically to the sternal edges. We examined the effect of vancomycin paste on the incidence of DSWI in patients undergoing elective cardiac operations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all patients from 2003 to 2015 who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting, valve, or combined coronary artery bypass grafting and valve operations at a single institution. We derived The Society for Thoracic Surgeons (STS) DSWI risk index for each patient and systematically reviewed operative, pharmacy, microbiology, and discharge records to document DSWI in these patients. Multivariate analyses were used to identify predictors of DSWI in this cohort and to quantify the effect of vancomycin paste.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 14,492 patients whose records we examined, DSWI developed in 136 patients, resulting in an overall incidence of 0.9%. After multivariate analysis, body mass index, New York Heart Association Functional Classification, and the STS DSWI risk index remained statistically significant and associated with DSWI. Although the incidence of DSWI decreased over time, the use of vancomycin paste was not associated with a reduced incidence of DSWI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a marked decrease in the incidence of DSWI during the study period, concurrent with institutional implementation of revised STS antibiotic dosing guidelines in 2007 and other strategies. However, the application of vancomycin paste to the sternal edges of patients undergoing cardiac operations was not associated with a reduced risk of DSWI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lander
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Julius I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Ejiofor
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGurk
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Kaneko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsuyoshi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Prem
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shekar
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: sbody@partners.org.
authors.forename: Simon C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Body
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001900:Boston; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D015331:Cohort Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009824:Ointments; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D056346:Sternotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009824:Ointments; D014640:Vancomycin