Survey on Sternal Wound Management in the Italian Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Units

Abstract

(1) Background: a review of the literature found a lack of standardized pediatric guidelines regarding wound management after cardiac surgery. (2) Objective: the aim of the study is to investigate the cardiac surgical wound management in Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units. (3) Methods: we sent an online questionnaire to the 13 Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units. (4) Results: ten pediatric cardiac intensive care units (77%) have a protocol for the management of the cardiac surgical wound. The staff members that mainly have the responsibility for the wound management after cardiac surgery are registered nurses and physicians together both in the pediatric cardiac intensive care units (69%), and when a patient is transferred to another ward (62%). Thirty-eight percent of the pediatric cardiac intensive care units have a protocol used to monitor wound infection, and the staff mostly uses a written shift report (54%) to monitor the infection. (5) Discussion: this is the first survey to investigate the management of the wound after cardiac surgery in Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units. The small sample size and the fact that the centers involved are only Italian cardiac intensive care units are the limits of this study. (6) Conclusions: in the Italian pediatric cardiac intensive care units it emerged that there is a diversity in the treatments adopted and a lack of specific protocols in the management of the pediatric cardiac surgical wound.

Keywords: cardiac surgical procedures; surgical wound infection.

Figure 1

Standardized protocols used in CICUs. (a) Presence of a standardized protocol for the management of cardiac surgical wound. (b) Presence of a standardized protocol for monitoring the cardiac surgical wound infection.

Figure 2

Monitoring and dressing management of the cardiac surgical wound. (a) Staff member in the CICU who is responsible for monitoring and dressing management. (b) Staff member who is responsible for monitoring and dressing management in case of patient’s transfer to another ward.