Mediastinitis Traumatic

Mediastinitis is an infection of the soft tissue or infection around a wound. Traumatic patients are people with open wounds that can cause the development of mediastinitis. Let's take a closer look at what mediastinitis is and what needs to be done to prevent its development.

Mediastinitis is a bacterial infection of the muscles, skin and subcutaneous fat. The infection can occur anywhere in the body as a result of injury or surgery. The main causes of mediastinitis are open wounds, infections of the respiratory system, teeth and bones. The causative agents of infection are pyogenic microorganisms: streptococci, staphylococci and other types of bacteria. The presence of mediastinitis is accompanied by the development of inflammatory processes in the tissues, swelling and pain appear.

In most cases, mediastinitis is the result of an open injury or skin infection. It can occur due to impaired local blood circulation in tissues or due to weakened immunity after serious infections such as tonsillitis, pneumonia, caries, etc.

How to recognize mediastinitis After receiving an injury that causes wounds, there are certain symptoms that indicate possible infection:

severe pain accompanied by fever up to 39°C; redness at the site of development of the infectious process; edema and swelling of soft tissues; pain when palpating the area of ​​inflammation; formation of pus; pain in the chest, stomach and back; urinary disturbance; increased fatigue and headache. The first symptoms of mediastinitis appear 1 to 4 days after infection. For successful treatment, it is important to consult a doctor no later than 72 hours after injury. And the earlier treatment begins, the more effective it will be.

There are two types of mestinitis: dry and wet. The dry form occurs when surface microorganisms penetrate the tissue and cause inflammation and swelling. Wet occurs due to the deep penetration of bacteria into soft tissues, which causes the formation of ulcers, fistulas, and boils. With the wet form of infection, there is a high risk of infection entering the lung cavity due to tissue death. This type of mestinitis can be fatal. Patients with cardiovascular diseases and people undergoing chemotherapy courses should be especially careful. Treatment of mediastinitis First of all, the doctor prescribes antibiotic therapy aimed at suppressing the activity and destroying pathogenic microorganisms. However, antibiotics are powerless against anaerobic bacteria. This is why surgery is used in most cases. During the operation, the affected tissue is opened and drainage is performed to ensure the flow of outflow of the purulent mass. Also, the doctor must remove purulent foci, remove infected tissue areas, clean wounds, and drain abscesses. After such a procedure, patients are prescribed rehabilitation therapy, aimed primarily at eliminating edema and stopping inflammatory processes.