Negative pressure wound therapy in the treatment of surgical site infection in cardiac surgery

to describe the relationship between epidemiological and clinical characteristics of postoperative cardiac surgery patients undergoing negative pressure wound therapy for the treatment of surgical site infection. an observational, cross-sectional analytical study including a convenience sample consisting of medical records of patients undergoing sternal cardiac surgery with surgical site infection diagnosed in medical records treated by negative pressure wound therapy. medical records of 117 patients, mainly submitted to myocardial revascularization surgery and with deep incisional surgical site infection (88; 75.2%). Negative pressure wound therapy was used on mean for 16 (±9.5) days/patient; 1.7% had complications associated with therapy and 53.8% had discomfort, especially pain (93.6%). The duration of therapy was related to the severity of SSI (p=0.010) and the number of exchanges performed (p=0.045). negative pressure wound therapy has few complications, but with discomfort to patients.