Criteria for active infection:
(1) clinical findings of infection (see below)
(2) operative findings of infection
(3) positive culture (from graft, the aortic wall, periarotic abscess)
Criteria for culture-negative infection:
(1) pre-operative antibiotic therapy
(2) clinical findings of infection
(3) operative findings of infection ("dirty" graft, purulent fluid, eccentric aneurysm)
(4) positive blood culture or serologic evidence of syphilis
(5) pathologic findings (neutrophilic infiltrate with or without necrosis)
Clinical findings of infection:
(1) fever > 37.5°C
(2) leukocytosis > 10,000 per µL
(3) increased serum C-reactive protein (CRP)
(4) pain or discomfort
(5) wound infection following aortic surgery
Imaging findings on CT or MRI scan may include:
(1) enlarging periaortic abscess
(2) graft-enteric erosions
(3) periaortic fluid with bubbles
(4) enlarging pseudoaneurysm
(5) aortoesophageal fistula
