Abstract
Some would argue that kids aren’t just little adults, but what about
their sternums? We are reviewing a manuscript by Horriat, McCandless,
and colleagues in the Journal of Cardiac Surgery1 describing their
experience with managing sternal wound infections (SWI) after congenital
heart surgery. They report encouraging results in 14 patients who
required plastic surgery consultation to manage their sternal wounds.
The nature of congenital cardiac abnormalities and the necessary steps
to repair them leads to physiologic derangements predisposing patients
to SWI. Rates of SWI vary and have been reported at 1.53% in this
population. There is little guidance on how the management of the
congenital cardiac surgery patient should differ from the adult
patient.2