Material and Method: Databases of pediatric cardiac surgery patients in 2005 were retrospectively reviewed. The main outcomes of interest were postoperative fever and its etiologies. Potential predictors were analyzed by comparing patients who developed or did not have infections.

Results: Two hundred thirty patients, 43% (n = 99) developed postoperative fever. Major infections occurred in 13.5% (n = 31), and postpericardiotomy syndrome (PPS) was seen in 8.7% (n = 20) of the patients. The infection rate was 16.9/100 procedures, including pneumonia (29 episodes) and blood stream infection (6 episodes). Risk factors were infancy, prolonged ventilator support > 2 days, hospital length of stay (LOS) > 14 days, intensive care unit (ICU) LOS > 3 days, re-open procedure, and extubation failure rate. Conversely, cyanosis and high complexity operations were not associated. Positive erythrocyte sedimentation rate was related to infections or to PPS (the area under the ROC = 0.72).

Conclusion: Following pediatric cardiac surgery, major infections are still problematic. The risks increase with infancy, prolonged ventilator support, prolonged hospital and ICU LOS, re-open procedure, and extubation failure.

Keywords: Heart defects, Congenital, Postoperative complications, Cross infections, Postpericardiotomy syndrome