Open heart surgery infection prevention

Open heart surgery infection prevention is a clinical indication focused on mitigating the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing major cardiac surgical procedures, typically involving median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass.

The target population comprises adult and pediatric cardiovascular surgical patients who are at heightened risk for both superficial incisional infections and severe, life-threatening complications involving deep thoracic structures, such as sternal osteomyelitis and mediastinitis.

Pathophysiologically, these infections most commonly arise from the intraoperative inoculation of endogenous cutaneous flora—predominantly *Staphylococcus aureus* and coagulase-negative staphylococci—into disrupted dermal barriers, bone, and mediastinal soft tissues, compounded by procedural tissue ischemia, foreign material implantation, and systemic perioperative inflammation.

Preventive therapy aims to reduce bacterial colonization and clear inoculated pathogens to preserve wound integrity and avoid catastrophic thoracic and systemic sequelae.