Mediastinitis

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Respiratory system

Chest infection

You may receive antibiotics if you have an infection. Often, patients with mediastinitis must have surgery to debride (remove) the area of inflammation.

How well a person does depends on the cause of the mediastinitis. Patients who develop mediastinitis after open chest surgery have a significant risk of dying from the condition.

Complications include the following:

• Spread of the infection to the:
  • Heart
  • Blood vessels
  • Lungs
  • Bones
  • Bloodstream
• Scarring

Scarring can be severe, especially when caused by chronic mediastinitis, and can interfere with heart or lung function.

Contact your health care provider if you have had open chest surgery and develop chest pain, fevers, chills, shortness of breath, or drainage from the wound.

If you have tuberculosis or sarcoidosis and develop any of these symptoms, contact your health care provider right away.

Review Date: 07/28/2006
Reviewed By: Charlotte Grayson, MD, Private Practice specializing in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Smyrna, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.