Acute poststernotomy mediastinitis managed with debridement and closed-drainage aspiration: Factors associated with death in the intensive care unit

In patients requiring intensive care for acute poststernotomy mediastinitis, age, type of cardiac surgery, underlying disease, and severity of illness at the time of intensive care unit admission were associated with intensive care unit death. Two additional factors (mechanical ventilation dependence and persistently positive bacteremia) were identified when the analyses were repeated with inclusion of day 3 patient characteristics.