Sternal cables are not superior to traditional sternal wiring for preventing deep sternal wound infection

Cardiothoracic Interdisciplinary Research Network, Rogers LJ, Vaja R, Bleetman D, Ali JM, Rochon M, Sanders J, Tanner J, Lamagni TL, Talukder S, Quijano-Campos JC, Lai F, Loubani M, Murphy GJ. Interventions to prevent surgical site infection in adults undergoing cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common type of hospital-acquired infection and affects up to a third of patients following surgical procedures. It is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. In the United Kingdom alone, it is estimated to add another £30 million to the cost of adult cardiac surgery. Although generic guidance for SSI prevention exists, this is not specific to adult cardiac surgery. Furthermore, many of the risk factors for SSI are prevalent within the cardiac surgery population. Despite this, there is currently no standard of care for SSI prevention in adults undergoing cardiac surgery throughout the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative periods of care, with variations in practice existing throughout from risk stratification, decontamination strategies and surveillance.

OBJECTIVES

Primary objective: to assess the clinical effectiveness of pre-, intra-, and postoperative interventions in the prevention of cardiac SSI.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

(i) to evaluate the effects of SSI prevention interventions on morbidity, mortality, and resource use; (ii) to evaluate the effects of SSI prevention care bundles on morbidity, mortality, and resource use.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid, from inception) and Embase (Ovid, from inception) on 31 May 2021.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) were also searched for ongoing or unpublished trials on 21 May 2021. No language restrictions were imposed.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs evaluating interventions to reduce SSI in adults (≥ 18 years of age) who have undergone any cardiac surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We followed the methods as per our published Cochrane protocol. Our primary outcome was surgical site infection. Our secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality, reoperation for SSI, hospital length of stay, hospital readmissions for SSI, healthcare costs and cost-effectiveness, quality of life (QoL), and adverse effects. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

A total of 118 studies involving 51,854 participants were included. Twenty-two interventions to reduce SSI in adults undergoing cardiac surgery were identified. The risk of bias was judged to be high in the majority of studies. There was heterogeneity in the study populations and interventions; consequently, meta-analysis was not appropriate for many of the comparisons and these are presented as narrative summaries. We focused our reporting of findings on four comparisons deemed to be of great clinical relevance by all review authors. Decolonisation versus no decolonisation Pooled data from three studies (n = 1564) using preoperative topical oral/nasal decontamination in all patients demonstrated an uncertain direction of treatment effect in relation to total SSI (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.36; I2 = 0%; very low-certainty evidence). A single study reported that decolonisation likely results in little to no difference in superficial SSI (RR 1.35, 95% CI 0.84 to 2.15; moderate-certainty evidence) and a reduction in deep SSI (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.77; high-certainty evidence). The evidence on all-cause mortality from three studies (n = 1564) is very uncertain (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.24 to 1.84; I2 = 49%; very low-certainty evidence). A single study (n = 954) demonstrated that decolonisation may result in little to no difference in hospital readmission for SSI (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.45; low-certainty evidence). A single study (n = 954) reported one case of temporary discolouration of teeth in the decolonisation arm (low-certainty-evidence. Reoperation for SSI was not reported. Tight glucose control versus standard glucose control Pooled data from seven studies (n = 880) showed that tight glucose control may reduce total SSI, but the evidence is very uncertain (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.85; I2 = 29%; numbers need to treat to benefit (NNTB) = 13; very-low certainty evidence). Pooled data from seven studies (n = 3334) showed tight glucose control may reduce all-cause mortality, but the evidence is very uncertain (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.91; I2 = 0%; very low-certainty evidence). Based on four studies (n = 2793), there may be little to no difference in episodes of hypoglycaemia between tight control vs. standard control, but the evidence is very uncertain (RR 2.12, 95% CI 0.51 to 8.76; I2 = 72%; very low-certainty evidence). No studies reported superficial/deep SSI, reoperation for SSI, or hospital readmission for SSI. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) versus standard dressings NPWT was assessed in two studies (n = 144) and it may reduce total SSI, but the evidence is very uncertain (RR 0.17, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.97; I2 = 0%; NNTB = 10; very low-certainty evidence). A single study (n = 80) reported reoperation for SSI. The relative effect could not be estimated. The certainty of evidence was judged to be very low. No studies reported superficial/deep SSI, all-cause mortality, hospital readmission for SSI, or adverse effects. Topical antimicrobials versus no topical antimicrobials Five studies (n = 5382) evaluated topical gentamicin sponge, which may reduce total SSI (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.84; I2 = 48%; NNTB = 32), superficial SSI (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.98; I2 = 69%), and deep SSI (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.96; I2 = 5%; low-certainty evidence. Four studies (n = 4662) demonstrated that topical gentamicin sponge may result in little to no difference in all-cause mortality, but the evidence is very uncertain (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.42; I2 = 0%; very low-certainty evidence). Reoperation for SSI, hospital readmission for SSI, and adverse effects were not reported in any included studies.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review provides the broadest and most recent review of the current evidence base for interventions to reduce SSI in adults undergoing cardiac surgery. Twenty-one interventions were identified across the perioperative period. Evidence is of low to very low certainty primarily due to significant heterogeneity in how interventions were implemented and the definitions of SSI used. Knowledge gaps have been identified across a number of practices that should represent key areas for future research. Efforts to standardise SSI outcome reporting are warranted.

Prevention, Diagnosis and Management of Post-Surgical Mediastinitis in Adults Consensus Guidelines of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES)

This is a consensus document of the Spanish Society of Cardiovascular Infections (SEICAV), the Spanish Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (SECTCV) and the Biomedical Research Centre Network for Respiratory Diseases (CIBERES). These three entities have brought together a multidisciplinary group of experts that includes anaesthesiologists, cardiac and cardiothoracic surgeons, clinical microbiologists, infectious diseases and intensive care specialists, internal medicine doctors and radiologists. Despite the clinical and economic consequences of sternal wound infections, to date, there are no specific guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of mediastinitis based on a multidisciplinary consensus. The purpose of the present document is to provide evidence-based guidance on the most effective diagnosis and management of patients who have experienced or are at risk of developing a post-surgical mediastinitis infection in order to optimise patient outcomes and the process of care. The intended users of the document are health care providers who help patients make decisions regarding their treatment, aiming to optimise the benefits and minimise any harm as well as the workload.

Wire Cerclage Versus Cable Closure After Sternotomy for Dehiscence and DSWI: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Cable closure has been introduced as a potential alternative to traditional wire cerclage (WC) for closure of median sternotomy. To evaluate whether cable closure improves patient outcomes, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.

METHODS

Ovid versions of Medline and Embase, and Google Scholar were used for the literature search. This yielded 7 studies (n = 2,758), which compared traditional WC to cable closure systems. Outcomes included deep sternal wound infection, sternal dehiscence, postoperative pain score, and sternal wound infection.

RESULTS

We found significantly lower incidence of sternal dehiscence for cable closure compared to WC (risk ratio [RR] 0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03 to 0.59, P < 0.01, I ² = 0%) but no difference in DSWI (RR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.39 to 2.42, P = 0.95, I ² = 33%). Cable closure was also associated with lower pain when compared with the WC group (mean difference -1.04 points, 95% CI: -1.89 to -0.19, P = 0.02, I ² = 87%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that cable closure results in less incidence of sternal dehiscence and pain compared to WC. Nonetheless, there remains a limited number of studies on this topic and further high-quality studies are required to confirm the results of this meta-analysis.

Prevention of deep sternal wound infection in cardiac surgery: a literature review

BACKGROUND

Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a dreaded complication of cardiac surgery with considerable consequences in terms of mortality, morbidity and treatment costs. In addition to standard surgical site infection prevention guidelines, multiple specific measures in the prevention of DSWI have been developed and evaluated in the past decades. This review focuses on these specific measures to prevent DSWI.

METHODS

An extensive literature search was performed to assess interventions in the prevention of DSWI. Articles describing results of a randomized controlled trial were categorized by type of intervention. Results were yielded and, if possible, pooled.

RESULTS

From a total of 743 articles found, 48 randomized controlled trials were selected. Studies were divided into 12 categories, containing pre-, peri- and postoperative preventive measures. Specific measures shown to be effective were: antibiotic prophylaxis with a first-generation cephalosporin for at least 24 h, application of local gentamicin before chest closure, sternal closure with figure-of-eight steel wires, and postoperative chest support using a corset or vest.

CONCLUSION

This study identified several measures that prevent DSWI after cardiac surgery that are not frequently applied in current practice. It is recommended that the guidelines on prevention of surgical site infection in cardiac surgery should be updated.