Major Bleeding in Patients with Mediastinitis: A Heartbreaking Series

Abstract

Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a life-threatening complication that develops in 5% of patients undergoing median sternotomy. One feared complication is major bleeding, associated with up to 50% mortality. We characterized a series of patients who experienced major bleeding following DSWI. We included eight patients with DSWI who experienced major bleeding at our institution from 1990 to 2012. The median age was 70.9 (range, 47–81) and the cohort consisted of seven male patients and one female patient. All eight patients required emergent surgical repair for the bleeding and all survived past 30 days postoperatively from the repair.

Keywords

sternum - wound infection - surgery - complications

Note

This work was presented as an oral presentation at the 54th Annual Meeting of the New England Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons in June 2013.

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