The use of an autogenous vaccine in the treatment of sternal wound infections following open heart procedures: a preliminary report.

Five patients, who developed sternal wound infection following open heart surgery and in whom the standard methods of management of this complication had been unsuccessful, were treated with an autogenous vaccine. Complete healing of the sternal wound was obtained in 4 of them, while in one, who had an associated mediastinitis, a slow recovery with persistence of a sternal fistula occurred. The results of this preliminary experience indicate that the use of an autogenous vaccine might be regarded as an alternative method of treatment of sternal infections in selected patients.