Etiology of surgical site infections in patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery are a significant complication that causes increased hospital stay and morbi-mortality. Method: Analysis of SSIs after cardiac surgery in patients included in the EPINE study (study of the prevalence of infections in Spanish hospitals) during the period 1999-2006. Results: During the considered period it was detected 189 cases of SSIs in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Ninety-five patients (50.3%) had undergone heart valve surgery and 94 patients (49.7%) had undergone coronary bypass. The mean age was 62.8 years (median 69). SSIs that were observed consisted in superficial incisional infection (69 patients, 37%), deep incisional (68 patients, 36%) and organ or space (52 patients, 27%). One hundred eighty bacterial species were isolated in these patients. The most frequently isolated microorganisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci (37%), methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (15.5%), methicillin resistant S. aureus (6.6%), Enterococcus spp (6.1%), Escherichia coil (5%), Enterobacter cloacae (5%) and Serratia marcescens (4.4%). There were no significant differences in etiology when comparing cases of SSI after valve surgery and coronary bypass surgery or did between incisional infections and organ or space infections. Conclusion: Coagulase-negative staphylococci and S. aureus caused the majority of SSIs after cardiac surgery. There were no differences in the etiology in relation to the type of surgery or the depth of the infection, (C) 2012 Sociedad Espanola de Cirugia Toracica-Cardiovascular. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.