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Speciality Spotlight
Cardiac
Surgery in Diabetic Patients
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Furnary AP, Zerr KJ. Grunkemeier GL, et al [ Providence St. Vincent Med Ctr., Portland, Ore]
Continuous Intravenous Insulin Infusion Reduced Incidence of Deep Sternal Wound Infection in Diabetic Patients After Cardiac Surgical Procedures
Ann Thorac Surg 67: 352-362, 1999
Deep Sternal Wound Infection [DSWI] is a very serious complication of cardiac surgery, and diabetes is an important risk factor. A new protocol to prevent DSWI in patients with diabetes, focusing on aggressive control of postoperative blood glucose levels by continuous insulin infusion [CII] was evaluated.
A policy of aggressive glucose control with CII significantly reduced the incidence of DSWI, to equal that in non-diabetics, thus reducing considerably the high costs of readmission and mortality associated with DSWI in diabetic patients.
