Mediastinitis natural history, complications and prognosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Anthony Gallo, B.S. [2]

Overview

If left untreated, fibrosing mediastinitis may progress to sepsis and subsequently, death.^[1] Mortality rates related to mediastinitis vary, though some estimates predict rates greater than 60%.^[2] Common complications of mediastinitis include sepsis and pneumonia.

Natural History

If left untreated, fibrosing mediastinitis may progress to sepsis and subsequently, death.^[1] Mortality rates related to mediastinitis vary, with some estimates predicting rates greater than 60%.^[2]

Complications

Common complications of mediastinitis include the following:^[1]^[3]

Sepsis
Spread of the infection to the:
- Bones
- Heart
- Lungs
Scarring
Pneumonia

Prognosis

Generally, patients with mediastinitis have a poor prognosis with a mortality rate near 40%.^[4] Mediastinitis among post-sternotomy patients has a particularly poor prognosis with an elevated risk of mortality near 60%.^[2] Prognosis improves with antimicrobial therapy.^[1]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Mediastinitis: a potentially lethal infection. Thoracics (2012). http://thoracics.org/2012/03/03/mediastinitis-noncardiac-surgery/ Accessed on September 25, 2015.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Martínez Vallina P, Espinosa Jiménez D, Hernández Pérez L, Triviño Ramírez A (2011). “[Mediastinitis]”. Arch Bronconeumol. 47 Suppl 8: 32–6. doi:10.1016/S0300-2896(11)70065-5. PMID 23351519.
↑ Fibrosing Mediastinitis. National Organization for Rare Disorders (2015). https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/fibrosing-mediastinitis/ Accessed on September 25, 2015
↑ Macrí P, Jiménez MF, Novoa N, Varela G (2003). “[A descriptive analysis of a series of patients diagnosed with acute mediastinitis]”. Arch. Bronconeumol. (in Spanish; Castilian). 39 (9): 428–30. PMID 12975075.

Template:WikiDoc Sources

[AAA-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Mediastinitis: a potentially lethal infection. Thoracics (2012). http://thoracics.org/2012/03/03/mediastinitis-noncardiac-surgery/ Accessed on September 25, 2015.

[pmid23351519-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 Martínez Vallina P, Espinosa Jiménez D, Hernández Pérez L, Triviño Ramírez A (2011). “[Mediastinitis]”. Arch Bronconeumol. 47 Suppl 8: 32–6. doi:10.1016/S0300-2896(11)70065-5. PMID 23351519.

[3] Fibrosing Mediastinitis. National Organization for Rare Disorders (2015). https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/fibrosing-mediastinitis/ Accessed on September 25, 2015

[pmid12975075-4] Macrí P, Jiménez MF, Novoa N, Varela G (2003). “[A descriptive analysis of a series of patients diagnosed with acute mediastinitis]”. Arch. Bronconeumol. (in Spanish; Castilian). 39 (9): 428–30. PMID 12975075.

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