Routine prophylactic retrosternal use of a gentamicin-collagen sponge in patients undergoing cardiac surgery significantly reduces deep sternal wound infections.

This survey is a step towards creating standards of end-of-life care in cardiac ICUs, which may contribute to build consensus and avoid conflicts among caregivers, patients and families at each step of the decision-making process.

This survey shows that existing national guidelines and recommendations concerning perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis and calculated empiric antibiotic therapy are well applied in almost all German heart centers.

The ADPtest and the TRAPtest significantly predict the requirement of perioperative blood transfusion. Therefore, multiple electrode platelet aggregometry is beneficial for POC testing in cardiac surgical patients. Prospective, randomized, and controlled clinical studies are rare.

No abstract