Vancomycin Paste Does Not Reduce the Incidence of Deep Sternal Wound Infection After Cardiac Operations

The authors investigated the efficacy of vancomycin paste applied to the sternal edges during cardiac surgery in reducing the risk of deep sternal wound infection among nearly 14,500 cardiac surgical patients.  The incidence of such infections was 09.%.  In a multivariable analysis, BMI, NYHA class, and the STS DSWI risk index were significantly associated with deep sternal wound infection.  Vancomycin paste did not reduce the incidence of infection.