Infectious Diseases and Management After Cardiac Surgery

The development of infectious diseases and/or inflammatory-related complications in postoperative cardiac surgical patient represents a diverse and complex array of clinical scenarios that may impact and complicate the hospital course of this patient population. Infectious diseases are different from other coexisting medical conditions in several respects. First, patients may have coexisting infectious diseases that may impact perioperative care when they come for surgery—these infections may be manifest or occult. Preexisting infectious diseases may be the reason for the surgery or may alter the risks associated with the surgery. Second, every patient undergoing surgery is at risk of acquiring an infectious disease during the perioperative period. Patients undergoing surgery are vulnerable to infection both at the surgical site and where natural defenses are breached, such as the respiratory tract, urinary tract, bloodstream, and sites of invasive monitoring. Acquired infectious diseases can be passed on to other patients and to health professionals in the perioperative period, and healthcare workers themselves may serve as active agents in transmitting infectious diseases to patients.