BACKGROUND:Mediastinitis results in significant morbidity in pediatric cardiac patients. It is not clear whether delayed sternal closure is a risk factor for these infections. Management of mediastinitis remains controversial.METHODS:Cases of mediastinitis at the Stollery Children's Hospital from January 1, 1991, to June 30, 2004, were reviewed.RESULTS:There were 29 cases of mediastinitis in 2,675 open cardiac procedures for an overall incidence of 1.1%. Infection was diagnosed 5 to 27 days after the original surgical procedure (median, 10 days). The odds ratio for infection with delayed sternal closure versus primary sternal closure was 1.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.63 to 5.60). Signs at the onset of infection included fever (86%), incisional erythema (69%), purulent drainage from the incision or pacer wire sites (83%), and wound dehiscence (23%). Debridement was followed by primary sternal closure in all but three cases in which the sternum had not been closed before debridement and rotational muscle flaps were not used. Continuous irrigation systems were used only in the first 7 patients. One patient died of mediastinitis complicated by infective endocarditis, and 2 patients died of multiorgan failure.CONCLUSIONS:Delayed sternal closure was not a major risk factor for mediastinitis, especially if primary skin closure was used with delayed sternal closure. Excellent results were attained with debridement and primary closure of these infections.