Bipolaris mould surgical site infections (SSIs) are exceedingly rare. We describe 21 cases of Bipolaris SSIs in pediatric and adult cardiothoracic surgery patients at ten hospitals in Texas, Arkansas, and Florida during 2008-2013. Median case-patient age was 55 years (range: 3 days-82 years), and 19 (90%) were male. Ten (48%) had coronary artery bypass or valve surgery, and seven (33%) had heart transplantation. Fifteen (71%) had more than one cardiothoracic procedure (median: 3, range: 1-11). Thirteen (62%) case-patients (all 5 pediatric patients, and 8 (50%) of 16 adult patients) had delayed sternal closure (chest closed >1 day [median = 8 days; range: 2-22] following the initial cardiothoracic procedure). Thirteen (62%) had mediastinitis. Median time from initial surgery to positive Bipolaris culture was 20 days (range: 6-497). Sixteen (76%) case-patients died.
Keywords: Bipolaris; cardiothoracic surgery; fungal; mould; phaeohyphomycosis; surgical site infections.
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.