Mediastinitis (patient information): Difference between revisions

	Mediastinitis
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Mediastinitis?
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Prevention
Mediastinitis On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images of Mediastinitis
Videos on Mediastinitis
FDA on Mediastinitis
CDC on Mediastinitis
Mediastinitis in the news
Blogs on Mediastinitis
Directions to Hospitals Treating Mediastinitis
Risk calculators and risk factors for Mediastinitis

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Latest revision as of 21:50, 9 December 2011

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Assistant Editor-in-Chief: Alexandra M. Palmer

Overview

Mediastinitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the area between the lungs (mediastinum). This area contains the heart, large blood vessels, windpipe (trachea), esophagus, thymus gland, lymph nodes, and connective tissues.

What are the symptoms of Mediastinitis?

What causes Mediastinitis?

Mediastinitis may occur suddenly (acute) or may develop slowly and get worse over time (chronic). Most cases occur in patients who have had open chest surgery. Less than 5 percent of patients develop mediastinitis after having chest surgery.

Patients may have a tear in their esophagus that causes mediastinitis. Causes of the tear include:

A procedure such as endoscopy

Forceful or constant vomiting

Trauma

Other causes of mediastinitis include:

Cancer

Histoplasmosis

Radiation

Sarcoidosis

Tuberculosis

Who is at risk for Mediastinitis?

Risk factors include:

Problems in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Recent chest surgery or endoscopy

Weak immune system

When to seek urgent medical care?

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

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

Diagnosis

Signs of mediastinitis in patients who have had recent surgery include:

Tests include:

Chest CT scan or MRI scan

Chest x-ray

Your health care provider may insert a needle into the area of inflammation and remove a sample to send for gram stain and culture to find the source of any infection.

Treatment options

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.

Where to find medical care for Mediastinitis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Mediastinitis

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

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

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

Possible complications

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.

Prevention

The only way to prevent mediastinitis related to chest surgery is to keep surgical wounds clean and dry after surgery.

Treating tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, or other conditions associated with mediastinitis may prevent this complication.

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000081.htm Template:WH Template:WS

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Mediastinitis (patient information)}}
 '''For the  WikiDoc page for this topic, click [[Mediastinitis|here]]'''
-{{SI}}
+{{CMG}}; '''Assistant Editor-in-Chief:'''  Alexandra M. Palmer
-'''Editor-in-Chief:'''  Alexandra M. Palmer
+==Overview==
+[[Mediastinitis]] is [[swelling]] and [[irritation]] ([[inflammation]]) of the area  between the [[lungs]] ([[mediastinum]]). This area contains the [[heart]], large  [[blood vessels]], [[windpipe]] ([[trachea]]), [[esophagus]], [[thymus gland]], [[lymph nodes]],  and [[connective tissues]].
-{{EJ}}
+==What are the  symptoms of Mediastinitis?==
+*[[Chest pain]]
+*[[Chills]]
+*Coughing up [[blood]]
+*[[Fever]]
+*[[Malaise]]
+*[[Shortness of breath]]
+==What causes Mediastinitis?==
+[[Mediastinitis]] may occur suddenly ([[acute]])  or may develop slowly and get worse over time ([[chronic]]).  Most cases occur in patients who have had open [[chest]] [[surgery]]. Less than  5 percent of patients develop [[mediastinitis]] after having [[chest]] [[surgery]].
+Patients may have a tear in their [[esophagus]] that causes  [[mediastinitis]]. Causes of the tear include:
+*A procedure such as [[endoscopy]]
+*Forceful or constant [[vomiting]]
+*[[Trauma]]
+Other causes of [[mediastinitis]] include:
+*[[Cancer]]
+*[[Histoplasmosis]]
-==What is Mediastinitis?==
+*[[Radiation]]
-==What are the  symptoms of Mediastinitis?==
+*[[Sarcoidosis]]
-==What causes Mediastinitis?==
+*[[Tuberculosis]]
 ==Who is at risk for Mediastinitis?==
+Risk factors include:
-==How do I know I  have Mediastinitis?==
+*Problems in the  [[upper  gastrointestinal tract]]
-==When to seek  urgent medical care==
+*Recent [[chest]] [[surgery]] or [[endoscopy]]
+*Weak [[immune system]]
+==When to seek urgent medical care?==
+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.
+==Diagnosis==
+Signs of [[mediastinitis]] in patients who have had recent [[surgery]]  include:
+*[[Chest wall]] [[tenderness]]
+*[[Wound]] drainage
+*Unstable [[chest wall]]
+Tests include:
+*[[Chest]] [[CT scan]] or [[MRI scan]]
+*[[Chest x-ray]]
+Your [[health care provider]] may insert a [[needle]] into the area of  [[inflammation]] and remove a sample to send for [[gram stain]] and culture to find the source of any [[infection]].
 ==Treatment options==
+You may receive [[antibiotics]] if you have an [[infection]].
-==Where to find  medical care for Mediastinitis==
+You may need [[surgery]] to remove the area of [[inflammation]] if the [[blood  vessels]], [[windpipe]], or [[esophagus]] is blocked.
+==Where to find medical care for Mediastinitis?==
 [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&amp;hl=en&amp;geocode=&amp;q={{urlencode:{{#if:{{{1|}}}|{{{1}}}|Mediastinitis}}}}&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=65.008093,112.148438&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;ll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;spn=91.690419,149.414063&amp;z=2&amp;source=embed  Directions to Hospitals Treating Mediastinitis]
-==Prevention of Mediastinitis==
+==What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?==
+How well a person does depends on the cause of the [[mediastinitis]].
-==What to expect  (Outlook/Prognosis)==
+[[Mediastinitis]] after open [[chest]] [[surgery]] is very serious. There is a  significant risk of dying from the [[condition]].
-==Possible  complications==
+==Possible complications==
+[[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.
+==Prevention==
+The only way to prevent [[mediastinitis]] related to [[chest]] [[surgery]] is to  keep surgical [[wounds]] clean and dry after [[surgery]].
+Treating [[tuberculosis]], [[sarcoidosis]], or other [[conditions]] associated  with [[mediastinitis]] may prevent this [[complication]].
 ==Sources==
+http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000081.htm
-{{SIB}}
 {{WH}}
 {{WS}}
-[[Category:Patient Information]]
+[[Category:Disease]]
+[[Category:Overview complete]]
+[[Category:Patient information]]
+[[Category:Pulmonary patient information]]
+[[Category:Pulmonology]]
+[[Category:Template complete]]
+[[Category:Cardiology]]
+[[Category:Cardiology patient information]]
+[[Category:Surgery]]
+[[Category:Surgery patient information]]
+[[Category:Thoracic surgery patient information]]
+[[Category:Cardiac surgery patient information]]
+[[Category:Thoracic surgery]]