Surgical Implant Reduces Sternal Wound Infections

A surgical implant used during sternotomy reduces the incidence of sternal wound infection (SWI) by 53% when used as an adjunct to standard infection prophylaxis.

A clinical study led by Dr. Orjan Friberg, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Orebro University Hospital (Sweden), was conducted at two hospital centers in Sweden to examine the use of local gentamicin for sternal infection prophylaxis (LOGIP). Patients in the treatment group had two CollaRx gentamicin surgical implants placed between the sternal halves before closure. The implant was used as an adjunct to intravenously administered isoxazolyl-penicillin.

The total incidence of SWIs two months post-surgery was 9% in the control group and 4.3% in the treatment group. Sub-population analysis of known high-risk groups composed of patients having either diabetes or increased body mass index (BMI) higher than 25-- representing 71% of the total study population--showed a decrease in infections from 11.1% to 4.4%. Of particular interest was the reduced risk of SWIs found in diabetic patients--representing 18% of the total study population--among whom the incidence of infections decreased from 17.3% in the control group to 5.6% in the treatment group. The results were published in the April 2006 edition of the Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal.

The CollaRx gentamicin surgical implant, manufactured by Innocoll Pharmaceuticals (Ashburn, VA, USA), is a 10 x10 cm biodegradable, collagen-based leave-behind implant impregnated with gentamicin, a broad spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic, and is indicated as an adjunct to systemic antibiotic therapy for the treatment and prevention of post-surgical acquired infection in both hard and soft tissues. The product has been approved in over 50 countries.

As a direct result of the LOGIP trial and subsequent recommendation by Dr. Friberg, Innocoll has developed an implant with modified dimensions of 20 x 5cm to better fit the sternum, and hence more convenient to use.



Related Links:
Orebro University Hospital
Innocoll Pharmaceuticals