Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Practice Guideline
. 2006 Dec;3(4):273-80.
doi: 10.1111/j.1742-481X.2006.00273.x.

The management of deep sternal wound infections using vacuum assisted closure (V.A.C.) therapy

Tatjana Fleck  1 , Ronny Gustafsson, Keith Harding, Richard Ingemansson, Mitchell D Lirtzman, Herbert L Meites, Reinhard Moidl, Patricia Price, Andrew Ritchie, Jorge Salazar, Johan Sjögren, David H Song, Bauer E Sumpio, Boulos Toursarkissian, Ferdinand Waldenberger, Walter Wetzel-Roth
Affiliations
Practice Guideline

The management of deep sternal wound infections using vacuum assisted closure (V.A.C.) therapy

Tatjana Fleck et al. Int Wound J. 2006 Dec.

Abstract

A group of international experts met in May 2006 to develop clinical guidelines on the practical application of vacuum assisted closure (V.A.C.)+ therapy in deep sternal wound infections. Group discussion and an anonymous interactive voting system were used to develop content. The recommendations are based on current evidence or, where this was not available, the majority consensus of the international group. The principles of treatment for deep sternal wound infections include early recognition and treatment of infection. V.A.C. therapy should be instigated early, following thorough wound irrigation and surgical debridement. V.A.C. therapy in deep sternal wound infections requires specialist surgical supervision and should only be undertaken by clinicians with adequate experience and training in the use of the technique.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Overview of treatment options (adapted from ref 11).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pezella T. Mediastinitis following open heart surgery: introduction. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2004;16:51–2. - PubMed
    1. Gustafsson R. Vacuum‐assisted closure therapy: a new treatment modality in post sternotomy mediastinitis. Doctoral thesis, Lund University, 2004.
    1. Baskett RJ, MacDougall CE, Ross DB. Is mediastinitis a preventable complication? A 10‐year review. Ann Thorac Surg 1999;67:462–5. - PubMed
    1. Brown IW, Moor GF, Hummel BW, Marshall WG Jr, Collins JP. Toward further reducing wound infections in cardiac operations. Ann Thorac Surg 1996;62:1783–89. - PubMed
    1. Milano CA, Georgiade G, Muhlbaier LH, Smith PK, Wolfe WG. Comparison of omental and pectoralis flaps for poststernotomy mediastinitis. Ann Thorac Surg 1999;67:377–80. - PubMed

Publication types