Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32611929›Full record

ArticleAnnals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia2021

Prevention of Sternal Wound Infections in Women Using an External Sternum Fixation Corset.

Koen Selten, Heike Schnoering, Rashad Zayat, Ali Aljalloud, Ajay Moza, Rüdiger Autschbach, Lachmandath Tewarie

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Koen SeltenDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
Heike SchnoeringDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
Rashad ZayatDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
Ali AljalloudDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
Ajay MozaDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
Rüdiger AutschbachDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
Lachmandath TewarieDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, RWTH University Hospital, Aachen, Germany.
RWTH Aachen University · DEUniversitätsklinikum Aachen · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDeep sternal wound infection (DSWI) and mediastinitis are devastating complications after median sternotomy. Previous studies demonstrated an effective prevention of sternal wound infection (SWI) using an external sternal corset in high-risk cardiac surgery patients. The aim of this study is to assess the preventive effect of the Stern-E-Fix corset in high-risk poststernotomy female patients.

methodsA total of 145 high-risk female patients undergoing cardiac surgery through median sternotomy were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into group A (n = 71), who received the Stern-E-Fix corset (Fendel & Keuchen GmbH, Aachen, Germany), and group B (n = 74), who received the elastic thorax bandage (SanThorax) postoperatively for 6 weeks. The mean follow-up period was 12 weeks.

resultsIncidence of SWI was 7% in group A vs. 17.6% in group B (p = 0.025). One patient presented with DSWI in group A vs. seven patients in group B (p = 0.063). No patient developed mediastinitis in group A vs. four patients in group B (p = 0.121). In all, 4.2% of group A patients required operative wound therapy vs. 16.2% of group B patients (p = 0.026). The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in group B (p = 0.006).

conclusionUsing an external supportive sternal corset (Stern-E-Fix) yields a significantly better and effective prevention against development of sternal dehiscence, DSWI, and mediastinitis in high-risk poststernotomy female patients.

Indexed as

BracesAgedAged, 80 and overCardiac Surgical ProceduresEquipment DesignFemaleHumansLength of StayMediastinitisMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsSternotomySurgical Wound DehiscenceSurgical Wound InfectionTime Factorsexternal sternal corsetmediastinitissternal dehiscencesternal wound infectionStern-E-Fix corset

Identifiers

PMID32611929
PMCPMC8043031
OpenAlexW3039351055

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.