Abstract

GOMEZ TEJADA, Ricardo A et al. Frequency of respiratory complications in elective general surgery: Experience of a University Hospital. Rev. amer. med. respiratoria [online]. 2012, vol.12, n.3, pp.79-85. ISSN 1852-236X.

Postoperative Respiratory Complications (PRCs) are important causes of morbidity and mortality associated to general surgery. Objectives: 1-To estimate the frequency of PRCs in General Elective Surgery. 2- To identify risk factors associated to PRCs from the pulmonologist's perspective. Design: Prospective, descriptive and transversal study. Methods: In a sample of 233 consecutive preoperative respiratory evaluations, 156 patients were studied for PPCs risk before undergoing elective surgery at the Buenos Aires University Hospital. Age, surgery site, smoking habit, respiratory risk score, spirometry, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification, clinical respiratory findings, prescribed medication, and respiratory concomitant disease (COPD, Obstructive Sleep Apnea) were assessed to predict the risk of PRCs, through Chi Square analysis (X²) for the corresponding confidence intervals. Variables significantly associated to PPCs were evaluated with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: In 19 patients, 26 PPCs were observed (12% of surgical interventions). Abnormal clinical findings, obstructive and severe obstructive pattern in spirometry, ASA classification, respiratory risk score, thoracic and upper abdominal surgery were associated to PPCs in the monovariate analysis. Surgery site, severe airway obstruction, and respiratory risk score were significantly associated to PPCs, in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: PPCs was found in 12 % of performed surgeries. Respiratory risk factors were similar to those reported in the literature. Additionally, the analysis indicated that severe airway obstruction was a significant predictor of PRCs in this study.

Keywords : Preoperative evaluation; Postoperative pulmonary complications; Postoperative risk.

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