The concept of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) after poststernotomy mediastinitis – a single center experience with 54 patients

Deep sternal infections, also known as poststernotomy mediastinitis, are a rare but often fatal complication in cardiac surgery. They are a cause of increased morbidity and mortality and have a significant socioeconomic aspect concerning the health system. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) followed by muscular pectoralis plasty is a quite new technique for the treatment of mediastinitis after sternotomy. Although it could be demonstrated that this technique is at least as safe and reliable as other techniques for the therapy of deep sternal infections, complications are not absent. We report about our experiences and complications using this therapy in a set of 54 patients out of 3668 patients undergoing cardiac surgery in our institution between January 2005 and April 2007

Information technology and risk management in supply chains

Purpose This paper reviews and classifies research connecting supply chain risk management (SCRM) and information technology (IT) and derives a structured proposal for fruitful research directions. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a systematic literature review of the interplay of SCRM and IT, drawing from major journals in the relevant fields. These findings are enriched by experiences from a three-year international research project. Findings Current research focuses on the role of IT for risk reduction, rather than for risk identification, analysis and monitoring. While much research has investigated operational supply chain risk, fewer insights into disruption risk are available. There is little research on the role of IT in SCRM beyond its potential to enhance information sharing among supply chain partners. To address these gaps, the paper proposes a two-dimensional framework to categorize IT potential for SCRM according to the source and impact of disruption risk on physical supply chain flows, which suggests promising directions for future research. Originality/value The paper offers a systematic review to further our understanding of the relationship of SCRM and IT. In addition, it presents and discusses nine areas for further research aimed at mitigating the gaps identified at the intersection of SCRM and IT