Surgical wound infection is the presence of replicating micro-organisms within a wound of a surgery leading to host injury. Superficial sternal wound infection (SSWI) is the infection that affects the skin and subcutaneous tissues and the pectoralis fascia(1,2). Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is the infection affecting muscle layer and the bony sternum, it is one of the most complex and potentially devastating complications following median sternotomy in cardiac surgery with a significant impact on both patient prognosis and hospital budgets, despite of many advances in prevention, it is still remaining significant, and ranges between 0.5% and 6.8%(2), with in-hospital mortality between 7% and 35%. moreover, mid- and long- term survival is significantly reduced in patients that have experienced DSWI(3). Sternal dehiscence is the process of separation of bony sternum which is often accompanied by mediastinits(4). Although prevention of infection following arthroplasty requires a multifaceted approach, the use of intraoperative irrigation is an important component of any protocol. Recent clinical practice guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection advocate the use of a dilute povidone-iodine solution prior to wound closure. This experience suggests that this practice is safe, inexpensive, and easily implemented(5). The present study is going to discuss the effect of dilute povidone-iodine irrigation vs vancomycine irrigation intraoperative in prevention of postoperative infection after cardiac surgery.
Infection control and health-care-associated infections and Safety of medical service providers~Evidence based management of common medical and surgical problems