The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 50, 800-807, Copyright © 1990 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Antimicrobial prophylaxis for open heart operations
LJ Miedzinski, JC Callaghan, EA Fanning, ET Gelfand, G Goldsand, D Modry, P Penkoske, J Preiksaitis, G Sheehan and L Sterns
University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Canada.
Between 1986 and 1988, 450 adults undergoing coronary artery bypass,
cardiac valve replacement, or both were enrolled into a prospective,
randomized, comparative trial of cephalothin versus cefamandole as
perioperative prophylaxis. They were assessed during their hospitalization
and at 6 weeks and 6 months after discharge for postoperative infectious
complications. Eleven patients had major postoperative infections including
5 with sternal wound infections (three bacteremic), 6 with bacteremia, 1
with prosthetic valve endocarditis, and 3 with severe venous donor graft
site infections. Eight major infections occurred in patients receiving
cephalothin prophylaxis and three in patients receiving cefamandole, with
all five sternal wound infections occurring in the cephalothin group.
Postoperative pathogens responsible for the major infections included
gram-negative aerobes in 5 patients, Staphylococcus aureus in 4, and
Staphylococcus epidermidis in 2. Preoperative colonizing staphylococcal
isolates were not predictive of postoperative staphylococcal pathogens.
Although there was no statistically significant difference in rate of major
postoperative infectious complications using either cephalothin or
cefamandole prophylaxis, there was a trend in favor of cefamandole.
Gram-negative aerobes are becoming increasingly important pathogens in this
setting.