2014/01/01 by Pascal M. Dohmen, Thanasie Markou, Dohmen, Pascal M. +15
Medicine · #610 Medical sciences #Medicine #Orthopedic Infections and Treatments #Pleural and Pulmonary Diseases #Surgical site infection prevention #cardiothoracic surgery #closed incision management #incisional negative pressure therapy #negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) #surgical site infection #surgical wounds
paper · doi:10.3205/dgkh000239
openalex publication_date 2014/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/19
Post-sternotomy mediastinitis is a serious complication after cardiothoracic surgery and contribute significantly to post-operative morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Negative pressure wound therapy is today's golden standard for post-sternotomy mediastinitis treatment. A systematic literature search was conducted at PubMed until October 2012 to analyse whether vacuum-assisted closure technique prevents mediastinitis after clean surgical incisions closure. Today's studies showed reduction of post-sternotomy mediastinitis including a beneficial socio-economic impact. Current studies, however included only high-risk patients, hence furthermore, larger randomised controlled trials are warranted to clarify the benefit for using surgical incision vacuum management systems in the general patient population undergoing sternotomy and clarify risk factor interaction.