The Effect of Tight Glycemic Control on Surgical Site Infection Rates in Patients Undergoing Open Heart Surgery

The presence or absence of deep, or/and superficial sternal wound infection and deep, superficial harvest site infection within in six weeks postoperatively was a primary outcome variable. Infection assessment was performed during the intensive care phase, at hospital discharge, two-week post hospital discharge and six-week post hospital discharge by independent blinded researchers that were part of the cardiothoracic team.

Procalcitonin concentrations were collected in addition to clinical signs for indications of infection. These biomarker concentrations were collected after successful separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and every morning for five days postoperatively. Values were drawn by anesthesia providers and intensive care unit (ICU) registered nurses or laboratory personnel with the standard morning blood work. All procalcitonin blood values from post cardiopulmonary bypass through postoperative day 5 were collected. The outcome measure was mean procalcitonin values with standard deviation.

C-Reactive Protein concentrations were collected in addition to clinical signs for indications of infection. These biomarker concentrations were collected after successful separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and every morning for five days postoperatively. Values were drawn by anesthesia providers and intensive care unit (ICU) registered nurses or laboratory personnel with the standard morning blood work. All C-Reactive Protein blood values from post cardiopulmonary bypass through postoperative day 5 were collected. The outcome measure was mean C-Reactive Protein values with standard deviation.

Blood glucose values were obtained every 30 minutes in the intraoperative period, and were drawn and recorded by the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) performing the anesthetic. Repeated measured ANOVA with Greenhouse-Geisser correction was employed to determine if participants assigned to the tight glycemic group yielded lower blood glucose levels intraoperatively (every 30 minutes for 240 minutes) than the other two interventions. All blood glucose measures over the intraoperative period were averaged to produce a mean and standard deviation comparing the tight glycemic group to the other two interventional groups, Data points were blood glucose testing collected every 30 minutes starting on entry into the operating room.

Length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit was measured by the total number of days each patient stayed in the intensive care unit.

Intraoperative glycemic stability was operationalize as how often blood glucose levels were maintained as normal or maintained in the preset target ranges for each group. If intraoperative blood glucose levels fell outside of normal (hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia) or, outside the preset target ranges, for each protocol, for 3 consecutive blood glucoses (1.5 hours) despite insulin therapy a marker of inadequate glycemic control was recorded.