Sternal Wound Infection Following Open Heart Surgery: Incidence, Risk Factor, Pathogen, and Mortality.

Background: Due to its high morbidity and mortality after open-heart surgery, sternal wound infection (SWI) is one of the most important consequences to avoid and manage.

Aim: To assess the incidence, risk factor, causative organisms, and mortality of SWIs in patients who had open-heart surgery over a 9-year period at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A retrospective study was done on 634 patients who underwent open heart surgery.