The Prevalence of Wound Complications after Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Relevance. Infectious complications arising in the postoperative period (nosocomial infections) have an adverse effect on the results of high-tech interventions in a cardiac surgery clinic, worsening clinical results and being a significant article of medical expenses. Aims. To analyze modern literature data on the prevalence of nosocomial infections after high-tech cardiac surgery to identify factors that affect its variability. Conclusions. The prevalence of hospital Infectious complications after cardiac surgery remains high, ranging, according to various sources, from 0.9% to 35%. The deep form, accompanied by a significant mortality rate, is more common in the range from 0.4% to 5%, the incidence of superficial forms is much more variable, leaving from 1.5% to 30%. A prerequisite for controlling infection in a cardiac surgery hospital is thorough and adequate registration of such complications. Conducting a dynamic comparison of the prevalence of nosocomial infections in the process of epidemiological control requires the consistent use of unchanged methods of statistical analysis, constant criteria for determining a standard case and the use of up-to-date classifications. An important step in the study of the prevalence of nosocomial infections is to provide the obtained information to practicing physicians in order to maintain a high level of awareness of the effectiveness of treatment and prevention.

Keywords

• surgical wound complications
• cardiac surgery
• deep post sternotomy infection
• prevalence
• prevention