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Diagnostics
Special Issues
Challenges in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac and Respiratory...
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Challenges in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac and Respiratory Infections

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 700

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alessandro Russo

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Infectious and Tropical Disease Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: infection; MDR pathogens; bacteria; fungal infection; sepsis; antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesca Serapide

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; bacterial infections; enterococcal infections; antimicrobial stewardship; sepsis; gram-negative infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiac and respiratory infections remain among the most complex and clinically significant challenges in modern medicine. Their overlapping symptoms, rapid progression, and diverse etiologies often complicate timely diagnosis, while emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance further hinder effective treatment. Advances in imaging, molecular diagnostics, and biomarker discovery are improving early detection, yet gaps persist in distinguishing infectious from non-infectious inflammatory conditions, especially in patients with underlying cardiopulmonary disease. Therapeutic decision-making is equally demanding, requiring careful balancing of antimicrobial stewardship, patient-specific risk factors, and the evolving landscape of targeted therapies. This Special Issue brings together current research, innovative technologies, and multidisciplinary perspectives aimed at refining diagnostic accuracy, enhancing treatment strategies, and ultimately improving outcomes for patients with cardiac and respiratory infections. The Special Issue will also focus on difficult-to-treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens and the treatment strategies.

Prof. Dr. Alessandro Russo
Dr. Francesca Serapide
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cardiac infections
  • respiratory infections
  • diagnostic challenges
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • biomarkers
  • molecular diagnostics
  • targeted therapies
  • cardiopulmonary disease

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 228 KB  
Article
Surgical Versus Conservative Treatment of Post-Sternotomy Mediastinitis: Clinical Characteristics, Microbiology, and Outcomes from a 10-Year Cohort
by Francesca Serapide, Lavinia Berardelli, Girolamo Perrotta, Simona Mongiardi, Antonio Di Virgilio, Giuseppe Musolino, Giuseppe Filiberto Serraino, Pasquale Mastroroberto and Alessandro Russo
Diagnostics 2026, 16(5), 785; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16050785 - 6 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Background: Post-sternotomy mediastinitis (PSM) remains one of the most serious complications of cardiac surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with PSM, comparing surgical and conservative treatment approaches. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all [...] Read more.
Background: Post-sternotomy mediastinitis (PSM) remains one of the most serious complications of cardiac surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with PSM, comparing surgical and conservative treatment approaches. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all cases of PSM (March 2014–July 2024) at our tertiary referral centre. Results: A total of 81 patients were included (39 surgically treated, 42 conservatively managed). The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the surgical group (p = 0.003), and blood transfusions were more frequent (p = 0.005). Patients in the conservative group had higher DSW-STS risk scores (p = 0.014). Positive blood cultures were significantly more common among surgically treated patients (p < 0.001). The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.5% overall, with no difference between groups. Conclusions: These results likely reflect the greater clinical severity and complexity of patients selected for surgery, rather than an adverse effect of the procedure itself. Surgical treatment of PSM is associated with longer hospitalisation and greater need for blood transfusion, reflecting the higher clinical complexity of these cases. Nevertheless, outcomes in terms of survival were comparable to conservative management, supporting an individualised, multidisciplinary approach to optimise care for patients with post-sternotomy mediastinitis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiac and Respiratory Infections)
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