Risk factors for mediastinitis after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: an integrative review

Abstract

This integrative literature review aimed to identify risk factors related to the development of mediastinitis in adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. The following databases were searched for primary studies: Medline, CINAHL, LILACS and EMBASE. The final sample comprised 18 studies. The most frequently identified risk factors were diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity, followed by surgical reintervention, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and old age. We found that the risk factors mostfrequently associated with mediastinitis were DM, obesity, surgical reintervention, COPD and age over 65 years. These data also suggest the need for further research on preventable and controllable risk factors, i.e., those related to the surgical procedure itself.