Chest infection

You may receive antibiotics if you have an infection.

You may need surgery to remove the area of inflammation if the blood vessels, windpipe, or esophagus is blocked.

How well a person does depends on the cause of the mediastinitis.

Mediastinitis after chest surgery is very serious. There is a significant risk of dying from the condition.

Complications include the following:

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

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

Contact your health care provider if you have had open chest surgery and develop:

• Chest pain
• Chills
• Drainage from the wound
• Fever
• Shortness of breath

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

Images

Respiratory system

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Mediastinitis Symptoms

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Mediastinitis Prevention

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)