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. Data was collected, including patient demographics, BMI, blood group, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, COPD, previous cardiac surgery, previous myocardial infarction, duration of the operation, blood transfusion during the operation, hospital length of stay, and bypass time with each type of sternal wound infection. RESULTS: The incidence of SSWI and DSWI was 8.6% and 4.1%, respectively. Coagulase-negative staphylococcus was the most frequently isolated organism from SSWI and DSWI patients. A concomitant diabetes mellitus that necessitates blood transfusion was identified as one of the risk variables for SSWI in a multivariate regression study. While concomitant diabetes, being a woman, and a lengthy hospital stay were independently linked with DSWI. Compared with the SSWI group, the 30-day mortality rate for DSWI patients was 3.8% as opposed to 3.7%, and the difference in survival was not statistically significant. Having an older, longer bypass time, and postoperative problems were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Future studies in various healthcare settings are required in order to generalize the results because this was a single center study.

Parental Knowledge and Awareness about Shaken Baby Syndrome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the serious consequences of shaken baby syndrome (SBS), previous studies revealed a low level of knowledge among Saudi parents. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. An electronic questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms to parents of pediatric age group children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 524 responses were received. Data about participants' demographics, knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding SBS were collected through convenient random sampling. RESULTS: A total of 524 responses were received; 30.7% of the participants were familiar with SBS. The Internet and the social media platforms were the most common sources of information. There was no statistically significant correlation between knowledge levels and participants' sociodemographic factors; only 32.3% of individuals had good knowledge. Of them, 84% had a positive attitude towards learning more about SBS, and 40.1% and 34.3% were interested in learning more about SBS before and during pregnancy, respectively. Carrying the baby and shaking were the actions most frequently taken when a baby was crying. Of them, 23.9% forcefully shake their child, while 41.4% of them throw their infant up in the air and catch it. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to conduct health education programs on SBS for mothers throughout the prenatal period.