OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency, manifestations, and correlates of impaired healing of saphenous vein (SV) harvest incisions in hospitalized patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive, correlational. SETTING: West Coast university-affiliated medical center. PATIENTS: Thirty-two English-speaking adults who had undergone CABG. OUTCOME MEASURES: Impaired wound healing of SV-harvest incisions. RESULTS: The overall incidence of impaired healing was 43.8%. The most frequent manifestations of impaired wound healing at discharge were prolonged erythema (8/32), prolonged drainage (8/32), and both prolonged erythema and drainage (2/32). Correlates of impaired healing of SV-harvest incisions were body mass index (product-moment correlation = 0.39, p = 0.026) and preoperative use of diuretics (point biserial correlation = 0.42, p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired healing of SV-harvest incisions in this sample occurred more frequently than previously indicated in the literature. Although severe wound infections were infrequent, a high degree of impaired healing occurred (43.8% of patients who had undergone CABG). Future studies need to explore the long-term effects of impaired healing and test interventions to mitigate impaired healing in this population.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency, manifestations, and correlates of impaired healing of saphenous vein (SV) harvest incisions in hospitalized patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive, correlational. SETTING: West Coast university-affiliated medical center. PATIENTS: Thirty-two English-speaking adults who had undergone CABG. OUTCOME MEASURES: Impaired wound healing of SV-harvest incisions. RESULTS: The overall incidence of impaired healing was 43.8%. The most frequent manifestations of impaired wound healing at discharge were prolonged erythema (8/32), prolonged drainage (8/32), and both prolonged erythema and drainage (2/32). Correlates of impaired healing of SV-harvest incisions were body mass index (product-moment correlation = 0.39, p = 0.026) and preoperative use of diuretics (point biserial correlation = 0.42, p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS:Impaired healing of SV-harvest incisions in this sample occurred more frequently than previously indicated in the literature. Although severe wound infections were infrequent, a high degree of impaired healing occurred (43.8% of patients who had undergone CABG). Future studies need to explore the long-term effects of impaired healing and test interventions to mitigate impaired healing in this population.