Acute Mediastinitis

Acute mediastinitis is acute infection of mediastinum, usually from esophageal rupture, post-surgery/tracheostomy, or odontogenic/descending infection, presenting with fever, chest pain, dyspnea, sepsis, and mediastinal widening. Treatment: secure airway; IV broad-spectrum antibiotics (cover oral anaerobes/staph/strep/GNR); urgent drainage (transcervical/thoracic/endoscopic); treat esophageal rupture (stent/repair); cultures; monitor for great-vessel erosion/airway obstruction; ICU; cardiothoracic surgery/ENT/GI.

Common Symptoms

Fever/chest pain/dyspnea; sepsis; mediastinal widening; post-procedural/traumatic

Causes and Pathogenesis

Esophageal rupture/post-surgery/descending infection causes acute mediastinal infection.

Treatment

Airway; IV antibiotics; urgent drainage; treat esophageal rupture; ICU; monitor complications

Preventive Measures

Careful endoscopy/surgery; treat esophageal disease promptly.

Department to Visit

It is recommended to visit the Cardiothoracic-surgery/GI-Emergency/ICU department; an appointment can be booked on this platform before the visit.

Warm reminder: The above information is for health science reference only and cannot replace professional medical diagnosis. If you have related symptoms, please seek medical attention at a regular hospital promptly.