Strategies preventing deep sternal wound infection in cardiac surgery - review

Abstract

Deep sternal wound infection is a feared complication of cardiac surgery due to the negative impact on mortality, morbidity and long-term survival.
Its incidence has remained more or less unchanged over the last three decades despite the significant increase in patients´ morbidity and
complexity of cardiac surgery. The review summaries strategies to reduce the incidence of deep sternal wound reflecting general surgical site
infection prevention and specificities of surgery performed through the median sternotomy. Furthermore, contemporary evidence-based recommendations
for prevention of this complication are highlighted in the review.