1. Sternal Wound Infection Project
This project was initiated in 2011 when we looked at sternal wound infections following pediatric cardiac surgery via a survey study of all programs across the United States. We discovered very little protocolized consistency in approach to limit infections. This study was published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. As a follow up, our group embarked upon creating a data-driven protocol for the prevention of sternal wound infections and implemented it within our program from 2011–2013. We found that the implementation of the protocol decreased our incidence of sternal wound infections, and our result was published in the World Journal for Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Surgery in 2013. Subsequently we became the lead institution in a two-year prospective multi-institutional study involving 10 programs looking at a uniform protocolized approach towards decreasing the incidence of sternal wound infections. This study has been performed in conjunction with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons National Database. Our work was presented nationally at the 2016 Society of Thoracic Surgeons annual meeting held in Houston, TX. The manuscript associated with this work is awaiting publication.
2. Early Extubation Protocol
In December of 2015, our program initiated an early extubation strategy for patients undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease. More specifically, we are tracking our ability to extubate a
patient in the operating room setting versus within six hours upon arrival to the PCCU. This study involves inclusion of a very well-defined subset of patients. We have constructed this protocol
using parameters defined by other studies; however, we submit that this particular approach is more encompassing than previously published reports. Our initial data analysis has allowed us to
recognize that we have shortened average hospital lengths of stay by nearly 1.5 days in patients who have been able to been placed into the protocol.