Pediatric cardiology
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Pediatric cardiology · May 2010
Impact of bloodstream infection on the outcome of children undergoing cardiac surgery.
Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a main cause of nosocomial infection in the critical care area. The development of BSI affects the surgical outcome and increases intensive care unit (ICU) morbidity and mortality. This prospective cohort study was undertaken to determine the incidence, etiology, risk factors, and outcome of BSI for postoperative pediatric cardiac patients in the pediatric cardiac ICU setup. ⋯ The mortality rate in the BSI group was 11% compared with 2% in the non-BSI group. In our pediatric cardiac ICU, BSI developed in 8.6% of the children undergoing cardiac surgery, mainly caused by a Gram-negative organism. The main risk factors for BSI in the postoperative pediatric cardiac patient were high surgical complexity, open sternum, low body weight, longer duration of central line, and prolonged pediatric cardiac ICU stay.