A Quality Improvement Initiative to Reduce Surgical Site Infections in Patients Undergoing Delayed Sternal Closure After Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.

Sternal wound infections (SWI) in delayed sternal closure (DSC) patients are a healthcare burden after congenital heart surgery. There are no guidelines specific for pediatric DSC patients to prevent this costly complication. The hypothesis was that the modifications to a bundled approach for DSC patients would decrease the SWI rate. For this prospective cohort study, DSC patients were postoperatively admitted to a pediatric cardiac care unit from February 2017 to January 2018. Using a modified protocol for prevention of SWI, the infection rates pre- and post-modified protocol were compared. The primary outcome measure was SWI. Secondary outcome measures were compliance with modifications. Retrospective review of cases in pre-protocol modification era from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 showed 377 pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass cases and 39 (10.4%) underwent DSC. During the post-protocol modification era, there were 129 cardiopulmonary bypass cases and 17 (13%) DSC cases. The SWI rate in DSC were 7.7% and 0% for pre-intervention and post-intervention, respectively (p = 0.52). The Bayesian confidence interval with Jeffreys prior gives a 95% confidence interval of 1.5% to 18.3% for pre-intervention and 0 to 13.5% for post-intervention. Compliance with the protocol bundle during the post protocol era was 93-100%. Although preliminary results are not statistically significant due to cohort size, the economic burden and increased LOS for each SWI is clinically significant. The early results of reduced infections for DSC patients using a modified bundle approach appear promising. Continued study and a multicenter project would be beneficial.

Thromboelastography--does it impact blood component transfusion in pediatric heart surgery?

BACKGROUND: The administration of blood products during pediatric cardiac surgery is common. We sought to determine if thromboelastography (TEG) is a cost-effective tool to reduce blood product transfusion in open pediatric cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was undertaken for 150 pediatric cardiac patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass from January 2010-May 2012, in a University-affiliated pediatric hospital. Fifty sequential patients operated on when TEG was used were compared with 100 control patients before TEG availability. Groups were matched 2:1 for age and risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery score. Blood product utilization was compared between groups, as were outcomes metrics such as postoperative complications, length of stay, and hospital costs of transfusions. RESULTS: Demographic variables, risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery score classifications, and cardiopulmonary bypass times were similar between groups. Red cell and plasma transfusion were comparable between groups. TEG patients saw a substantial reduction in the administration of platelet (1 versus 2.2 U; P < 0.0001) and cryoprecipitate (0.7 versus 1.7 U; P < 0.0001) transfusions. A greater than 50% reductions in hospital costs of platelet ($595 versus $1309) and cryoprecipitate ($39 versus $94) transfusions were observed in the TEG group. Mortality, length of stay, ventilator requirements, postoperative bleeding, and thrombotic events were equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative TEG use reduced platelet and cryoprecipitate transfusions without an increase in postoperative complications. TEG is a cost-effective method to direct blood product replacement.

Helping the World Achieve Sustainable Development Goals: The Role of PNPs and Pediatric-Focused Providers.

In 2015 the United Nations created the Agenda for Sustainable Development and a list of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) for 2030. This year is the halfway mark toward meeting the goals, and the results reported by the World Health Organization in 2023 are not as positive as hoped, as progress has stagnated. The third SDG primarily focuses on the health and well-being of all ages to prevent unavoidable deaths in children aged < 5 years. Pediatric nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned to support programs building toward the health and well-being of children. Becoming aware of opportunities will help pediatric nurse practitioners use their voices toward success in meeting the SDGs.

The routine use of chest radiographs after chest tube removal in children who have had cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: It is routine to obtain a chest radiograph (CXR) after removal of a chest tube (CT) to assess for pneumothorax. Retrospective studies have shown that clinical signs were present in most children with pneumothorax and were an indication for a CXR. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine if clinical indicators of pneumothorax are sufficient predictors of the need for CT reinsertion in children who have had a CT removed after cardiac surgery. METHODS: The prospective study included a physical assessment before CT removal, using a two-person technique, which was repeated 2 hours after CT removal. Based on assessment findings, a decision was made regarding whether a CXR was indicated. The routine CXR was then obtained and read by a pediatric intensivist who was blinded to the decision of the investigator. RESULTS: Sixty CTs were removed in 53 children. No false-positive predictions were made, because none of the children was predicted to have a pneumothorax requiring chest tube reinsertion, and none developed a significant pneumothorax (95% confidence interval: 0, 5%). CONCLUSIONS: The low rate of pneumothoraces in this study may be been related to how the CT was placed in surgery, the type of CT used, or the method of removal. In this study the risk of developing a pneumothorax requiring CT reinsertion after CT removal was at most 5% and therefore low enough to consider obtaining a CXR for symptomatic children only.

Prevention of sternal wound infection in pediatric cardiac surgery: a protocolized approach.

BACKGROUND: Sternal wound infections (SWIs) are a costly complication for children after cardiac surgery, increasing morbidity, mortality, and financial cost. There are no pediatric guidelines to reduce the incidence of SWI in this vulnerable population. METHODS: A quality improvement, multidisciplinary team was formed, and a protocol to prevent SWI was developed. A prospective review of patients who underwent pediatric cardiac surgery was conducted over a two-year period to follow adherence to the protocol and incidence of SWI. The Centers for Disease Control definitions for surgical site infections were used to determine the depth and presence of infection. RESULTS: Three hundred and eight children <18 years of age had sternotomies during the study period. There was a reduction in all SWI between the first and second years of the study (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; confidence interval [CI] 95% 0.12-1.01; P = .059). Delayed sternal closure (DSC) was associated with increased risk of SWI (OR = 5.4; CI 95% 2.13-14.9; P ≤ .001). Institution of a protocol in patients with DSC was associated with decreased infections during the second year (first year: n = 7 (14%), second year: n = 2 (4%), P = .14). CONCLUSIONS: Institution of a protocol was associated with a decreased number of infections in children. A multicenter study of a bundled protocol approach to SWI prevention is needed. Children with DSC had a significantly higher risk of developing a wound infection. Initiating strategies to reduce SWI with a focus on children with DSC may result in improved overall infection rates.

Keeping children with congenital heart disease healthy.

Keeping children with congenital heart disease healthy is vital to their long-term survival and quality of life. Nurse practitioners are in an excellent position to keep these sometimes fragile children healthy before, between, and after their cardiac surgeries. Primary care visits should address developmental morbidity. Referral for in-depth evaluations and intervention should be initiated for children with hemodynamically significant heart disease. Infants may also experience poor feeding. Nutritional guidance may include fortifying formulas or enteral tube feedings. Attention to immunization status and prevention of winter illnesses and endocarditis may reduce complications in this high-risk group of children.

Sternal wound infections in pediatric congenital cardiac surgery: a survey of incidence and preventative practice.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines exist for prevention of sternal wound infections (SWI) in adults. There are no guidelines for pediatric patients and limited reports on SWI incidence. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of, and preventative practice regarding pediatric SWIs with a long-term aim to develop best practice guidelines. METHODS: Eighty-nine congenital heart programs were sent a 31 question on-line survey regarding pediatric SWI. RESULTS: Thirty eight (43%) of the 89 programs responded. They reported 8,774 pediatric congenital procedures with a mean SWI rate of 1.53% (range, 0 to 9.09). Mean yearly volume was 237 operations (range, 50 to 720). Neither program size nor delayed sternal closure was associated with increased incidence of SWI. Variations in preoperative measures, antibiotic regimens, and wound care did not statistically impact incidence of SWI. Programs with protocols to monitor and control blood glucose levels postoperatively had statistically lower infection rates (1.04 vs 2.35, p = 0.03), and those that sent mediastinal cultures at time of delayed sternal closure reported lower infection rates (1.34 vs 1.74, p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: This report provides a multiinstitutional SWI incidence from pediatric programs of 1.53%. Despite variations in clinical practice between programs, this survey revealed two strategies resulting in reduced SWIs; protocol-based management of glucose levels and mediastinal wound cultures sent at time of closure. Pediatric programs do not consistently follow adult preventative guidelines. Multicenter randomized research is needed to formulate preventative guidelines to reduce the incidence of pediatric SWI.