The authors compared patients with sternal dehiscence CSD) with and without
mediastinitis with respect to: 1) time interval from surgery to diagnosis;
and 2) frequency of sternal wire abnormalities on chest radiographs (CXR).
Using a hospital information system to identify all patients with a diagno
sis of SD from January 1993 through April 1999, the authors obtained clinic
al data by performing a retrospective chart review. For each patient, a CXR
from the date of diagnosis of SD was retrospectively compared with the fir
st postoperative CXR to assess for sternal wire displacement, rotation, and
disruption, The timing of sternal wire alterations was correlated with cli
nical findings of SD or mediastinitis. The authors found that sternal wire
abnormalities are evident radiographically in the majority of SD patients w
ith and without mediastinitis; there is no significant difference in the fr
equency of sternal wire abnormalities between these two subgroups. Patients
with SD and mediastinitis generally present later in the postoperative per
iod than patients with isolated dehiscence.