Mediastinal infection after open cardiac surgery

Mediastinal infection is a rare but life-threatening complication after open cardiac surgery. Of 852 patients undergoing cardiac operations performed with a median sternotomy between January of 1981 and August of 1989, 19 patients (2.2%) developed deep sternal infections with mediastinitis, and 6 of them (31.6%) died. Tissue cultures were obtained from all but three patients, and staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent infecting organism associated with high mortality rates (3/8). 18 patients were managed with debridement and irrigation as the primary treatment, but 4 of them developed infective endocarditis during the course of irrigation treatment and then died. After 1987, 6 patients, who didn't gain wound closure with irrigation alone, were treated with reconstructive techniques, one with pectoral muscle flap closure, another with rectus myocutaneous flap mobilization, and the remainder with omental transfer respectively. All of them achieved eradication of infection as well as wound closure. Then we have advocated early debridement and mobilization of viable tissues such as omentum into the mediastinum.