Poststernotomy mediastinitis: comparison of two treatment modalities.

Poststernotomy mediastinitis (PM) is a serious and potentially lethal condition with an overall incidence varying from 0.4-5%. There is little consensus on the ideal management of PM. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effectiveness of topical negative pressure (TNP) therapy vs. traditional closed drainage techniques (CDT) as a treatment modality for PM. We reviewed the data of 10,467 patients who underwent median sternotomy between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 2003. During this period 63 patients were treated for PM. Twenty-nine of these patients were treated with TNP and 34 with conventional CDT. Primary points of interest were: treatment modalities, mortality, surgical site infection recurrence and, duration of therapy and hospital stay. In this series, the total incidence of poststernotomy mediastinitis was 0.6% with high morbidity rates. In the TNP group, lower rates of recurring infection, therapeutic failure and fewer defects at discharge were seen (P<0.05). In conclusion, the results of our series add further data to the knowledge that PM is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. TNP is a safe and adequate treatment modality for treating PM.