Pediatric Poststernotomy Mediastinitis

Mediastinitis results in significant morbidity in pediatric cardiac patients. It is not clear whether delayed sternal closure is a risk factor for these infections. Management of mediastinitis remains controversial.Cases of mediastinitis at the Stollery Children's Hospital from January 1, 1991, to June 30, 2004, were reviewed.There were 29 cases of mediastinitis in 2,675 open cardiac procedures for an overall incidence of 1.1%. Infection was...