Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia after lung cancer surgery and impact of pneumonia on survival

Effect of preoperative natural killer cell on postoperative pulmonary complications in patients of lung cancer - A single-center retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The effect of preoperative natural killer (NK) cell abnormalities on postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer is still unclear. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the preoperative NK cell ratio and PPCs.

METHODS

The patients who underwent thoracoscopic radical resection for lung cancer were divided into a normal group and an abnormal group according to whether the proportion of preoperative NK cells was within the reference range. The main outcome was the incidence of PPCs during postoperative hospitalization. The demographic and perioperative data were collected. Propensity score matching was used to exclude systematic bias. Univariate logistic regression was used to test the relationship between the preoperative NK cell ratio and the incidence of PPCs. The restrictive cubic spline curve was used to analyze the dose-effect relationship between the preoperative NK cell ratio and the incidence of PPCs.

RESULTS

A total of 4161 patients were included. After establishing a matching cohort, 910 patients were included in the statistical analysis. The incidence of PPCs in the abnormal group was greater than that in the normal group (55.2% vs. 31.6%). The incidence of PPCs first decreased and then increased with increasing NK cell ratio. The proportion of patients with Grade 3 or higher PPCs in the normal group was lower than that in the abnormal group [108 (23.7%) vs. 223 (49%)]. The indwelling time of the thoracic drainage tube in the abnormal group was longer than that in the normal group [3 (3, 4) vs. 3 (3, 5)]. A preoperative abnormal NK cell ratio constituted a risk factor for PPCs in each subgroup.

CONCLUSION

Lung cancer patients with an abnormal proportion of peripheral blood NK cells before surgery were more likely to develop PPCs, their disease degree was more severe, and they had a prolonged duration of chest tube indwelling. Compared with those with abnormally high NK cell ratios, those with abnormally low NK cell ratios had more pronounced PPCs.

Risk factors and prognostic significance of early postoperative complications for patients who underwent pneumonectomy for lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Although pneumonectomy has relatively high mortality and morbidity rates, it remains valid in the surgical treatment of lung cancer. This study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of postoperative complications after pneumonectomy and demonstrate the risk factors related to early postoperative complications.

METHODS

Patients who underwent pneumonectomy for non-small cell lung cancer between January 2008 and May 2021 were included in the study. Factors related to the development of early postoperative complications and overall survival were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 136 patients were included in the study. Early postoperative complications were seen in 33 (24.3%) patients and late postoperative complications in 7 (5.1%) patients. The amount of cigarette smoking, and the operation side were the independent variables that affect the development of early postoperative complications. In multivariate analysis, smoking amount and pericardial invasion were associated with the development of postoperative hemorrhage, and advanced age was associated with the development of postoperative pneumonia.

CONCLUSIONS

Early postoperative complications have a negative effect on the prognosis after pneumonectomy therefore careful patient selection and preoperative risk assessment are essential to minimize the occurrence of complications and improve patient outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This observational study was approved by the (Ethical Committee of Dr. Suat Seren Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Center) Institutional Review Board of our center (E-49109414-604.02.02-218625439).

Postoperative leukocyte counts as a surrogate for surgical stress response in matched robot- and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery cohorts of patients: A preliminary report

The objective is to preliminary evaluated postoperative leukocyte counts as a surrogate for the surgical stress response in NSCLC patients who underwent RATS or VATS for further prospective analyses with proper assessment of surgical stress response and tissue trauma. We retrospectively analyzed patients with stageI-IIIA NSCLC who underwent RATS or VATS at a hospital between 8 May 2020 and 31 December 2021. Analysis of leukocytes (including neutrophils and lymphocytes) and albumin on postoperative days (PODs) 1 and 3 in patients with NSCLC treated with RATS or VATS after propensity score matching (PSM). In total, 1824 patients (565 RATS and 1259 VATS) were investigated. The two MIS groups differed significantly with regard to operative time (p < 0.001), chronic lung disease (p < 0.001), the type of pulmonary resection (p < 0.001), the excision site of lobectomy (p = 0.004), and histology of the tumor (p = 0.028). After PSM, leukocyte and neutrophil levels in the RATS group were lower than those in the VATS group on PODs 1 and 3, with those on POD 3 (p < 0.001) being particularly notable. While lymphocyte levels in the RATS group were significantly lower than those in the VATS group only at POD 1 (p = 0.016). There was no difference in albumin levels between the RATS and VATS groups on PODs 1 and 3. The surgical stress response and tissue trauma was less severe in NSCLC patients who underwent RATS than in those who underwent VATS, especially reflected in the neutrophils of leukocytes.

The impact of previous COVID-19 pneumonia on postoperative outcomes and complications in coronary artery bypass grafting

Background

This study aimed to provide nuanced insights in managing patients with a history of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study involved 168 patients (131 males, 37 females; mean age: 61.2±9.7 years; range, 51 to 72 years) undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting surgery between December 2021 and December 2023. The study examined factors such as age, sex, comorbidities, blood test results, vaccination status, operative parameters, and postoperative complications. Patients' health records were reviewed to confirm the presence of previous COVID-19 pneumonia and vaccination status. Patients were divided into two groups based on their history of COVID-19 pneumonia: Group 1 included 140 who had not been diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, and Group 2 included 28 patients who had a documented history of COVID-19 pneumonia. Postoperative pulmonary complications, including atelectasis, pleural effusion, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and pneumonia, were noted.

Results

Patients with a history of COVID-19 pneumonia (Group 2, n=28) demonstrated significantly higher seropositivity for COVID-19 (89.3% vs. 29.3%, p=0.001) compared to those without a history (Group 1, n=140). Although pulmonary complications were higher in Group 2 (17.9% vs. 3.6%, p=0.013), postoperative mortality rates did not differ significantly between the groups. Pleural effusion was markedly higher in Group 2 (14.3% vs. 2.1%, p=0.015). Vaccination did not significantly affect perioperative and postoperative outcomes, except for a minor difference in postoperative drainage volume.

Conclusion

This study highlights the impact of prior COVID-19 pneumonia on postoperative outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting patients. Although there was a rise in pulmonary complications, the mortality rates stayed similar among individuals with and without a prior history of COVID-19 pneumonia. Vaccination did not significantly influence outcomes, emphasizing the need for further research with larger cohorts to validate and expand upon these findings.

A predictive model for post-thoracoscopic surgery pulmonary complications based on the PBNN algorithm

We constructed an early prediction model for postoperative pulmonary complications after thoracoscopic surgery using machine learning and deep learning algorithms. The artificial intelligence prediction models were built in Python, primarily using artificial intelligencealgorithms including both machine learning and deep learning algorithms. Correlation analysis showed that postoperative pulmonary complications were positively correlated with age and surgery duration, and negatively correlated with serum albumin. Using the light gradient boosting machine(LGBM) algorithm, weighted feature engineering revealed that single lung ventilation duration, history of smoking, surgery duration, ASA score, and blood glucose were the main factors associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. Results of artificial intelligence algorithms for predicting pulmonary complications after thoracoscopy in the test group: In terms of accuracy, the two best algorithms were Logistic Regression (0.831) and light gradient boosting machine(0.827); in terms of precision, the two best algorithms were Gradient Boosting (0.75) and light gradient boosting machine (0.742); in terms of recall, the three best algorithms were gaussian naive bayes (0.581), Logistic Regression (0.532), and pruning Bayesian neural network (0.516); in terms of F1 score, the two best algorithms were LogisticRegression (0.589) and pruning Bayesian neural network (0.566); and in terms of Area Under Curve(AUC), the two best algorithms were light gradient boosting machine(0.873) and pruning Bayesian neural network (0.869). The results of this study suggest that pruning Bayesian neural network (PBNN) can be used to assess the possibility of pulmonary complications after thoracoscopy, and to identify high-risk groups prior to surgery.

Mollicutes-related infections in thoracic surgery including lung and heart transplantation: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Urogenital Mollicutes, that is, Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma spp., can colonize the urogenital tract. While urogenital colonization is frequent, infections are rare but should not be missed. Furthermore, extragenital infections are even rarer. Over the past years, they have been increasingly documented as a cause of hyperammonemia syndrome (HS) and post-surgical infections. We review the literature on studies focused on post-surgical infections and HS involving urogenital Mollicutes after thoracic surgery including lung (LTR) and heart (HTR) transplantation.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed/Medline case reports, case series, cohort studies, and clinical trials. Cases of infections and HS by urogenital Mollicutes after HTR and LTR transplantations were reported.

RESULTS

Overall, urogenital Mollicutes were associated with 15 HS, 31 infections in HTR and LTR, and 18 post-thoracic surgical infections in another context. Post-surgical infections were reported in all contexts. They were mainly due to M hominis, the only species that could cultivate on standard enriched agar forming pinpoint colonies after 3-5 days of incubation. Microbiologists should be prompted to pinpoint colonies even if the examination of Gram-staining is negative. The patients' management required surgical treatment and antimicrobials, almost always tetracyclines and/or fluoroquinolones. Conversely, HS occurred almost exclusively in bilateral LTR and is more likely due to Ureaplasma spp. As Ureaplasma spp. do not cultivate on standard media, the microbiological diagnosis was performed using molecular methods.

CONCLUSIONS

Infections involving urogenital Mollicute should be considered in LTR with HS. The overall rate of mortality is high and might be due in part to delay in etiologic diagnosis. Post-surgical infections were reported in all contexts. The route of contamination with Mollicutes remains unknown in HTR and non-transplant surgery, but evidence of transmission from donors has been documented for LTR.

Prognostic significance of fibrinogen and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio score and D-dimer/Albumin ratio for prognosis in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

Recent research indicates that systemic inflammation significantly affects the overall prognosis of individuals with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. To delve deeper into this issue, a retrospective study was undertaken. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between fibrinogen and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio scores, D-dimer/Albumin ratios, and the Glasgow Outcome Scale at 6 months post-discharge for patients with aSAH.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 321 patients who experienced aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. These patients were monitored using the Glasgow Outcome Scale six months after being discharged from Huizhou Central People's Hospital. Patients with GOS scores between 1 and 3 were classified as having a poor prognosis, while those with scores ranging from 4 to 5 were considered to have a good prognosis. To create distinct sets, patients were randomly divided into both training and validation groups. The best cut-off value for the D-dimer/Albumin ratio was established through ROC curves, and the scores for fibrinogen and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were calculated. Utilizing multivariate logistic regression analysis, independent risk factors linked to an unfavorable prognosis in aSAH patients were identified. A nomogram model was developed and validated based on these findings, providing an improved approach for evaluating the prognostic influence of risk factors. To gauge the model's predictive performance, several analytical tools such as ROC curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were employed. This comprehensive approach ensured a thorough assessment of the prognostic prediction capabilities of the model.

RESULTS

Multivariate regression analysis revealed that Age (OR=3.87, 95%CI=1.54-9.73, p=0.004), Pneumonia (OR=3.54, 95%CI=1.41-8.86, p=0.007), WFNS (OR=3.24, 95%CI=1.23-8.54, p=0.017), DAR (OR=2.88, 95%CI=1.13-7.34, p=0.027), and F-NLR (OR=3.12, 95%CI=1.22-7.97, p=0.017) were identified as independent risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients with aSAH. Additionally, the area under the ROC curve was 0.866 (95%CI=0.805-0.927) for the training set and 0.924 (95%CI=0.849-0.999) for the validation set. The calibration curve analysis demonstrated a minor error of 0.02 for the training set and 0.051 for the validation set. Furthermore, both the training set and validation set displayed significant clinical benefits according to the DCA curves, underscoring the meaningful utility of the developed nomogram.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibrinogen and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio scores, and the D-dimer/Albumin ratio emerged as significant independent risk factors for prognosticating the outcomes of patients with aSAH. Leveraging these factors, a robust nomogram model was meticulously developed, showcasing its impressive precision in prognostic predictions. These results underscore the promising clinical applicability of these biomarkers as effective prognostic indicators for individuals afflicted by aSAH.

Clinical, Microbiological and Treatment Characteristics of Severe Postoperative Respiratory Infections: An Observational Cohort Study

Respiratory infections are frequent and life-threatening complications of surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, microbiological and treatment characteristics of severe postoperative pneumonia (POP) and tracheobronchitis (POT) in a large series of patients. This single-center, prospective observational cohort study included patients with POP or POT requiring intensive care unit admission in the past 10 years. We recorded demographic, clinical, microbiological and therapeutic data. A total of 207 patients were included, and 152 (73%) were men. The mean (SD) age was 70 (13) years and the mean (SD) ARISCAT score was 46 (19). Ventilator-associated pneumonia was reported in 21 patients (10%), hospital-acquired pneumonia was reported in 132 (64%) and tracheobronchitis was reported in 54 (26%). The mean (SD) number of days from surgery to POP/POT diagnosis was 6 (4). The mean (SD) SOFA score was 5 (3). Respiratory microbiological sampling was performed in 201 patients (97%). A total of 177 organisms were cultured in 130 (63%) patients, with a high proportion of Gram-negative and multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria (20%). The most common empirical antibiotic therapy was a triple-drug regimen covering MDR Gram-negative bacteria and MRSA. In conclusion, surgical patients are a high-risk population with a high proportion of early onset severe POP/POT and nosocomial bacteria isolation.

Body Mass Index (BMI) Related Morbidity with Thyroid Surgery

OBJECTIVES

The increase in incidence of thyroid cancer correlates with strict increases in body mass index (BMI) and obesity in the United States. Thyroid hormone dysregulation has been shown to precipitate circulatory volume, peripheral resistance, cardiac rhythm, and even cardiac muscle health. Theoretically, thyroid surgery could precipitate injury to the cardiopulmonary system.

METHODS

The American College of Surgery National Quality Improvement Program database was queried for thyroidectomy cases in the 2007-2020 Participant User files. Continuous and categorical associations between BMI and cardiopulmonary complications were investigated as reported in the database.

RESULTS

The query resulted 186,095 cases of thyroidectomy procedures in which the mean age was 51.3 years and sample was 79.3% female. No correlation was evident in univariate and multivariate analyses between BMI and the incidence of postoperative stroke or myocardial infarction. The incidence of complications was extremely low. However, risk of deep venous thrombosis correlated with BMI in the categorical, univariate, and multivariate (OR 1.036, CI 1.014-1.057, p < 0.01) regression analysis. Additionally, increased BMI was associated with increased risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) (OR 1.050 (1.030, 1.069), p < 0.01), re-intubation (OR 1.012 (1.002, 1.023), p = 0.02), and prolonged intubation (OR 1.031 (1.017, 1.045), p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Despite the rarity of cardiopulmonary complications during thyroid surgery, patients with very high BMI carry a significant risk of deep venous thrombosis, PE, and prolonged intubation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 Laryngoscope, 133:2823-2830, 2023.

Postoperative infectious complications are associated with diminished overall survival of patients undergoing resection for colorectal liver metastases

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative infectious complications (PIC) remain one of the most common complications after surgery. The influence of PIC on long-term survival for patients after liver surgery for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) needs further investigation.

METHODS

Data of patients who underwent liver resection for CRLM between 2012 and 2017 at the Department of Surgery, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin were evaluated. Overall survival (OS) was stratified according to the development of PIC. Independent predictors of PIC and diminished survival were identified using regression models.

RESULTS

Of 270 patients, eighty-four (31%) patients developed PIC including intraabdominal infections (n = 51, 61%), cholangitis (n = 5, 6%), pneumonia (n = 12, 14%), wound infections (n = 28, 33%), urinary tract infections (n = 5, 6%), or central line-associated bloodstream infections (n = 4, 5%). PIC were associated with a significantly diminished five-year OS (30% vs. 43%, p = 0.008). Age >65 years (p = 0.016, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-4.0), comorbidity (p = 0.019, HR [95% CI] = 2.4 [1.2-4.9]), simultaneous resection of primary tumor (p = 0.005, HR [95% CI] = 4.3 [1.6-11.9]), biliary drainage (p < 0.001, HR [95% CI] = 4.1 [2.0-8.5]), and length of procedure ≥272 min (p = 0.012, HR [95% CI] = 2.2 [1.2-4.1]) were independent predictors for the development of PIC. Body-mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2 (p = 0.002, HR [95% CI] = 2.4 [1.4-4.0]), postoperative major complications (p = 0.003, HR [95% CI] = 2.2 [1.3-3.8]), and 3- or 4-MRGN bacteria (p = 0.001, HR [95% CI] = 7.7 [2.2-27.3]) were independently associated with diminished OS.

CONCLUSIONS

PIC are associated with diminished OS after resection for CRLM. Age >65 years, comorbidities, simultaneous resection of the primary tumor, and biliary drainages were identified as independent risk factors for the development of PIC. High BMI, postoperative major morbidity and 3-/4-MRGN bacteria were independently predictive of worse OS. These factors need to be considered in perioperative management for patients with CRLM.

Are Extensive Open Lung Resections for Elderly Patients with Lung Cancer Justified?

BACKGROUND

Older patients with malignancies are more comorbid than younger ones and are usually undertreated only because of their age. The aim of this study is to investigate the safety of open anatomical lung resections for lung cancer in elderly patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed all patients who underwent lung resection for lung cancer in our institution and categorized them into two groups: the elderly group (≥70 years old) and the control (<70).

RESULTS

In total, 135 patients were included in the elderly group and 375 in the control. Elderly patients were more frequently diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (59.3% vs. 51.5%, p = 0.037), higher differentiated tumors (12.6% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.014), and at an earlier stage (stage I: 55.6% for elderly vs. 36.6%, p = 0.002). Elderly patients were more vulnerable to postoperative pneumonia (3.7% vs. 0.8%, p = 0.034), lung atelectasis (7.4% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.040), and pleural empyema (3.2% vs. 0%, p = 0.042), however, with no increased 30-day-mortality (5.2% for elderly vs. 2.7%, p = 0.168). Survival was comparable in both groups (43.4 vs. 45.3 months, p = 0.579).

CONCLUSIONS

Elderly patients should not be excluded from open major lung resections as the survival benefit is not reduced in selected patients.

A Clinical Prediction Model for Postoperative Pneumonia After Lung Cancer Surgery

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a common complication following lung cancer surgery and is associated with increased hospitalization costs and mortalities. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with POP and to develop a reliable predictive model.

METHODS

Patients who underwent lung cancer surgery between January 2015 and December 2021 in our hospital were enrolled. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis was used to select predictors of POP. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to construct the nomogram. Bootstrap resampling was conducted for internal validation. The performance of the model was evaluated by discrimination and calibration.

RESULTS

A total of 5269 consecutive patients were enrolled. POP occurred in 1.7% of patients (92/5269). Five independent predictors were identified: age, predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s, predicted diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide, tuberculosis history, and surgery duration. The multivariable regression model showed good discrimination (C-index: 0.821, 95% confidence interval, 0.783-0.859), which was well validated by internal validation. The calibration curve illustrated good agreement between the predicted probability and observed probability of POP.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the easily available risk factors, our nomogram could predict the risk of POP with good discrimination and calibration. The model has good clinical practicability, enabling precise and targeted interventions to reduce the incidence of POP in high-risk patients.

Muscular tissue desaturation and pneumonia in patients receiving lung cancer surgery: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Post-operative pneumonia (POP) is a common complication of lung cancer surgery, and muscular tissue oxygenation is a root cause of post-operative complications. However, the association between muscular tissue desaturation and POP in patients receiving lung cancer surgery has not been specifically studied. This study aimed to investigate the potential use of intra-operative muscular tissue desaturation as a predictor of POP in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.

METHODS

This cohort study enrolled patients (≥55 years) who had undergone lobectomy with one-lung ventilation. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO 2 ) was monitored in the forearm (over the brachioradialis muscle) and upper thigh (over the quadriceps) using a tissue oximeter. The minimum SmtO 2 was the lowest intra-operative measurement at any time point. Muscular tissue desaturation was defined as a minimum baseline SmtO 2 of <80% for >15 s. The area under or above the threshold was the product of the magnitude and time of desaturation. The primary outcome was the association between intra-operative muscular tissue desaturation and POP within seven post-operative days using multivariable logistic regression. The secondary outcome was the correlation between SmtO 2 in the forearm and that in the thigh.

RESULTS

We enrolled 174 patients. The overall incidence of muscular desaturation (defined as SmtO 2 < 80% in the forearm at baseline) was approximately 47.1% (82/174). The patients with muscular desaturation had a higher incidence of pneumonia than those without desaturation (28.0% [23/82] vs. 12.0% [11/92]; P  = 0.008). The multivariable analysis revealed that muscular desaturation was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia (odds ratio: 2.995, 95% confidence interval: 1.080-8.310, P  = 0.035) after adjusting for age, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, Assess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia score, smoking, use of peripheral nerve block, propofol, and study center.

CONCLUSION

Muscular tissue desaturation, defined as a baseline SmtO 2 < 80% in the forearm, may be associated with an increased risk of POP.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

No. ChiCTR-ROC-17012627.

Nomogram prediction model of postoperative pneumonia in patients with lung cancer: A retrospective cohort study

Background

The prediction model of postoperative pneumonia (POP) after lung cancer surgery is still scarce.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of patients with lung cancer who underwent surgery at The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from September 2019 to March 2020 was performed. All patients were randomly divided into two groups, training cohort and validation cohort at the ratio of 7:3. The nomogram was formulated based on the results of multivariable logistic regression analysis and clinically important factors associated with POP. Concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the nomogram.

Results

A total of 1252 patients with lung cancer was enrolled, including 877 cases in the training cohort and 375 cases in the validation cohort. POP was found in 201 of 877 patients (22.9%) and 89 of 375 patients (23.7%) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The model consisted of six variables, including smoking, diabetes mellitus, history of preoperative chemotherapy, thoracotomy, ASA grade and surgery time. The C-index from AUC was 0.717 (95%CI:0.677-0.758) in the training cohort and 0.726 (95%CI:0.661-0.790) in the validation cohort. The calibration curves showed the model had good agreement. The result of DCA showed that the model had good clinical benefits.

Conclusion

This proposed nomogram could predict the risk of POP in patients with lung cancer surgery in advance, which can help clinician make reasonable preventive and treatment measures.

The Spectrum of Infections in Patients with Lung Cancer

Although diagnostic and therapeutic advances in lung cancer (LC) have increased the survival of patients, infection and its complications are still among the most important causes of mortality. The disruption of tissue caused by tumor mass, management of cancer therapy and alteration in the humoral/cellular immune systems due to both cancer itself and therapy considerably increase susceptibility to infection in cancer patients. Particularly, opportunistic microorganisms should be considered, then applying rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods for them. Thus, cancer patients who are already exposed to difficult, long-term and expensive treatments can be prevented from dying from complications related to infections.

Preoperative inspiratory muscle training in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory sarcopenia: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Sarcopenia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Preoperative inspiratory muscle weakness is also a risk factor for PPCs. Sarcopenia and COPD are often associated with inspiratory muscle weakness. Respiratory sarcopenia has been defined as the coexistence of whole-body sarcopenia and respiratory muscle weakness. We report our experience with preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation, including inspiratory muscle training (IMT), in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid respiratory sarcopenia and COPD.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 73-year-old man with squamous cell lung cancer (cStage IA2) was hospitalized for pulmonary rehabilitation before lung resection. He had comorbid severe sarcopenia and COPD (GOLD stage III). He also had inspiratory muscle weakness and a thin diaphragm. We conducted IMT on the patient in addition to aerobic exercise and instruction regarding sputum expectoration for 2 weeks before the surgery. Consequently, his pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and exercise capacity improved. Segmentectomy was performed using video-assisted thoracic surgery. No postoperative complications occurred.

CONCLUSION

IMT in a patient with lung cancer and comorbid respiratory sarcopenia and COPD resulted in improved respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function. IMT may have reduced the risk of PPCs by strengthening the respiratory muscles and improving pulmonary function.

Risk Assessment of Postoperative Pneumonia in Cancer Patients Using a Common Data Model

The incidence of postoperative pneumonia (POP) in patients with cancer is high, but its incidence following major cancer surgeries is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the incidence and risk factors of POP after surgery in patients with the five most common cancers in Korea using a common data model (CDM). Patients aged >19 years who underwent gastric, colon, liver, lung, or breast cancer surgery between January 2011 and December 2020 were included, excluding patients who underwent chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Pneumonia was defined as a pneumonia diagnosis code in patients hospitalized postoperatively. Gastric, colon, lung, breast, and liver cancers were noted in 4004 (47.4%), 622 (7.4%), 2022 (24%), 958 (11.3%), and 839 (9.9%) of 8445 patients, respectively. The cumulative POP incidence was 3.1% (n = 262), with the highest incidence in lung cancer (n = 91, 4.5%), followed by gastric (n = 133, 3.3%), colon (n = 19, 3.1%), liver (n = 14, 1.7%), and breast (n = 5, 0.5%) cancers. In multivariable analysis, older age, male sex, history of chronic pulmonary disease, mood disorder, and cerebrovascular disease were POP predictors. The cumulative POP incidence in the five cancers using the CDM was approximately 3%. Older age, male sex, chronic pulmonary disease, mood disorder, and cerebrovascular disease were POP risk factors in patients with cancer.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Postoperative Pulmonary Infection in Patients Undergoing Lung Surgery

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a nomogram for predicting postoperative pulmonary infection (PPI) in patients undergoing lung surgery.

DESIGN

Single-center retrospective cohort analysis.

SETTING

A university-affiliated cancer hospital PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,501 adult patients who underwent lung surgery from January 2018 to December 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

Observation for PPI within 7 days after lung surgery.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A complete set of demographics, preoperative variables, and postoperative follow-up data was recorded. The primary outcome was PPI; a total of 125 (8.3%) out of 1,501 patients developed PPI. The variables with p < 0.1 in univariate logistic regression were included in the multivariate regression, and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that surgical procedure, surgical duration, the inspired fraction of oxygen in one-lung ventilation, and postoperative pain were independent risk factors for PPI. A nomogram based on these factors was constructed in the development cohort (area under the curve: 0.794, 95% CI 0.744-0.845) and validated in the validation cohort (area under the curve: 0.849, 95% CI 0.786-0.912). The calibration slope was 1 in the development and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis indicated that when the threshold probability was within a range of 0.02-to-0.58 and 0.02-to-0.42 for the development and validation cohorts, respectively, the nomogram model could provide a clinical net benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors developed and validated a nomogram for predicting PPI in patients undergoing lung surgery. The prediction model can predict the development of PPI and identify high-risk groups.

Increased risk of death from pneumonia among cancer survivors: A propensity score‐matched cohort analysis

BACKGROUND

The repeated global pandemic of the new virus has led to interest in the possibility of severe pneumonia among cancer patients and survivors. Here, we aimed to assess the association between incident cancer and risk of death from pneumonia in Japanese in a large population-based cohort study.

METHODS

We used the data from The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study (JPHC Study), which enrolled subjects aged 40 to 69 between 1990 and 1994 and followed their cancer incidence and mortality until 2013. After identifying 103,757 eligible subjects for analysis and imputing missing data on covariates by the chained equations approach, we conducted propensity score-matched analysis for 1:4 matching, leaving 14,520 cases diagnosed with cancer and 48,947 controls without cancer during the study period for final analysis. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and corresponding confidence interval (CI) for the risk of death from pneumonia with comparison of cancer cases and cancer-free controls.

RESULTS

Compared to cancer-free individuals, risk of death from pneumonia was significantly higher among those who had any diagnosed cancer (HR, 1.41; 95%CI, 1.08-1.84); those within 1 year of diagnosis (HR, 23.0; 95% CI, 2.98-177.3); within 1 to <2 years (HR, 3.66; 95% CI, 1.04-12.9); and those with regional spread or distant metastatic cancer at initial diagnosis (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.26-3.21). A history of lung, oesophageal, and head and neck cancer conferred the higher risk among site-specific cancers.

CONCLUSION

We found a positive association between incident cancer and risk of death from pneumonia in this study. These results imply the possibility that the immunocompromised status and respiratory failure due to antitumor treatment may have resulted in a more severe outcome from pneumonia among cancer survivors than the general population.

Evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia as risk factors for lobectomy complications

Objective

Up to 40% of lobectomies are complicated by adverse events. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernia have been associated with morbidity across a range of clinical scenarios, yet their relation to recovery from pulmonary resection is understudied. We evaluated GERD and hiatal hernia as predictors of complications after lobectomy for lung cancer.

Methods

Lobectomy patients at Yale-New Haven Hospital between January 2014 and April 2021 were evaluated for predictors of 30-day postoperative complications, pneumonia, atrial arrhythmia, readmission, and mortality. Multivariable regression models included sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index, surgical approach, cardiopulmonary comorbidities, hiatal hernia, GERD, and preoperative acid-suppressive therapy as predictors.

Results

Overall, 824 patients underwent lobectomy, including 50.5% with a hiatal hernia and 38.7% with GERD. The median age was 68 [interquartile range, 61-74] years, and the majority were female (58.4%). At least 1 postoperative complication developed in 39.6% of patients, including atrial arrhythmia (11.7%) and pneumonia (4.1%). Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-2.06, P = .01), age ≥70 years (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.13-2.11, P = .01), hiatal hernia (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.03-1.90, P = .03), and intraoperative packed red blood cells (OR, 4.80; 95% CI, 1.51-15.20, P = .01) were significant risk factors for developing at least 1 postoperative complication. Hiatal hernia was also a significant predictor of atrial arrhythmia (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.02-2.62, P = .04) but was not associated with other adverse events.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that hiatal hernia may be a novel risk factor for complications, especially atrial arrhythmia, following lobectomy that should be considered in the preoperative evaluation of lung cancer patients.

Effects of lymphocyte and neutrophil counts and their time courses on mortality in patients with postoperative pneumonia

The prognostic significance of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) remains unclear in patients with postoperative pneumonia (POP). The study objectives were to investigate the prognostic effects of ALC and ANC in POP patients, and to evaluate the time courses of ALC and ANC during hospitalization. This post-hoc analysis of a single-center prospective observational study evaluated consecutive POP patients, and comparatively analyzed community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients to highlight features of POP. In total, 228 POP patients and 1027 CAP patients were assessed. Severe lymphopenia (ALC < 500 cells/μL) at diagnosis was associated with worse 90-day survival in both types of pneumonia. In POP patients, neutrophilia (ANC > 7500 cells/μL) was associated with better survival, whereas CAP patients with neutrophilia tended to have a lower survival rate. Prolonged lymphopenia and delayed increase in neutrophils were characteristic time-course changes of non-survivors in POP. The time courses of ALC and ANC between survivors and non-survivors in POP trended differently from those in CAP. Our study showed that ALC and ANC at pneumonia diagnosis can serve as prognostic factors in POP patients. Differences in time-course changes of ALC and ANC between survivors and non-survivors may provide important information for future immunological research in pneumonia.

Lung Cancer Screening Criteria and Cardiopulmonary Comorbidities

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Propensity-matched Analysis Demonstrates Long-term Risk of Respiratory and Cardiac Mortality After Pneumonectomy Compared With Lobectomy for Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE

We sought to quantify and characterize long-term consequences of pneumonectomy, with particular attention to nononcologic mortality.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Pneumonectomy is associated with profound changes in cardiopulmonary physiology. Studies of long-term outcomes after pneumonectomy typically report generalized measures, such as disease-free and overall survival.

METHODS

Patients undergoing lobectomy or pneumonectomy for lung cancer at our institution from 2000 to 2018 were reviewed. Propensity-score matching was performed for 12 clinicopathologic factors. Ninety-day complications and deaths were compared. Five-year cumulative incidence of oncologic and nononcologic mortality were compared using competing risks approaches.

RESULTS

From 3339 lobectomy and 355 pneumonectomy patients identified, we derived 318 matched pairs. At 90 days, rates of overall complications were similar (46% for pneumonectomy vs 43% for lobectomy; P = 0.40), but rates of major complications (21% vs 13%; P = 0.005) and deaths (6.9% vs 1.9%; P = 0.002) were higher the pneumonectomy cohort. The cumulative incidence of oncologic mortality was not significantly different between cohorts (P = 0.9584). However, the cumulative incidence of nononcologic mortality was substantially higher in the pneumonectomy cohort for both date of surgery and 1-year landmark analyses (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0002, respectively). Forty-five pneumonectomy patients (18%) died of nononcologic causes 1-5 years after surgery; pneumonia (n = 21) and myocardial infarction (n = 10) were the most common causes. In pneumonectomy patients, preexisting cardiac comorbidity and low diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide were predictive of nononcologic mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to lobectomy, excess mortality after pneumonectomy extends beyond 1 year and is driven primarily by nononcologic causes. Pneumonectomy patients require lifelong monitoring and may benefit from expeditious assessment and intervention at the initial signs of illness.

An External-Validated Algorithm to Predict Postoperative Pneumonia Among Elderly Patients With Lung Cancer After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

The aim of the study was to develop an algorithm to predict postoperative pneumonia among elderly patients with lung cancer after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. We analyzed 3,009 patients from the Thoracic Perioperative Database for Geriatrics in our hospital and finally enrolled 1,585 elderly patients (age≧65 years) with lung cancer treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The included patients were randomly divided into a training group (n = 793) and a validation group (n = 792). Patients in the training group were used to develop the algorithm after screening up to 30 potential risk factors, and patients in the validation group were used to internally validate the algorithm. External validation of the algorithm was achieved in the external validation dataset after enrolling 165 elderly patients with lung cancer treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery from two hospitals in China. Of all included patients, 9.15% (145/1,585) of patients suffered from postoperative pneumonia in the Thoracic Perioperative Database for Geriatrics, and 10.30% (17/165) of patients had postoperative pneumonia in the external validation dataset. The algorithm consisted of seven variables, including sex, smoking, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), surgery duration, leukocyte count, intraoperative injection of colloid, and intraoperative injection of hormone. The C-index from the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.70 in the training group, 0.67 in the internal validation group, and 0.71 in the external validation dataset, and the corresponding calibration slopes were 0.88 (95% confident interval [CI]: 0.37–1.39), 0.90 (95% CI: 0.46–1.34), and 1.03 (95% CI: 0.24–1.83), respectively. The actual probabilities of postoperative pneumonia were 5.14% (53/1031) in the low-risk group, 15.07% (71/471) in the medium-risk group, and 25.30% (21/83) in the high-risk group (p < 0.001). The algorithm can be a useful prognostic tool to predict the risk of developing postoperative pneumonia among elderly patients with lung cancer after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

Prognostic Value of Preoperative Peak Expiratory Flow to Predict Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Surgical Lung Cancer Patients

Objectives

Cough impairment may lead to excessive accumulation of pulmonary secretions and increase the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Peak expiratory flow (PEF) is a sensitive indicator of cough ability. We aimed to investigate the correlation between PEF and PPCs for lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy or segmental resection for improved risk assessment.

Methods

This retrospective study assessed 560 patients with non-small cell lung cancer admitted for surgery between January 2014 to June 2016. The measurements of PEF were performed before surgery and the clinical outcomes were recorded, including PPCs, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and other variables.

Results

Preoperative PEF was significantly lower in PPCs group compared to non-PPCs group (294.2 ± 95.7 vs. 363.0 ± 105.6 L/min, P < 0.001). Multivariable regression analysis showed that high PEF (OR=0.991, 95%CI: 0.988-0.993, P < 0.001) was an independent protective factor for PPCs. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, a PEF value of 250 L/min was selected as the optimal cutoff value in female patients, and 320 L/min in male patients. Patients with PEF under cutoff value of either sex had higher PPCs rate and unfavorable clinical outcomes.

Conclusions

Preoperative PEF was found to be a significant predictor of PPCs for surgical lung cancer patients. It may be beneficial to consider the cutoff value of PEF in perioperative risk assessment.

Reduced exercise capacity and self-perceived health status in high-risk patients undergoing lung resection

BACKGROUND

Lung resection represents the main curative treatment modality of non-small cell lung cancer. Patients with high-risk to develop postoperative pulmonary complications have been classified as “high-risk patients.” Characterizing this population could be important to improve their approach and rehabilitation.

AIM

To identify the differences between high and low-risk patients in exercise capacity and self-perceived health status after hospitalization.

METHODS

A longitudinal observational prospective cohort study was carried out. Patients undergoing lung resection were recruited from the “Hospital Virgen de las Nieves” (Granada) and divided into two groups according to the risk profile criteria (age ≥ 70 years, forced expiratory volume in 1 s ≤ 70% predicted, carbon monoxide diffusion capacity ≤ 70% predicted or scheduled pneumonectomy). Outcomes included were exercise capacity (Fatigue Severity Scale, Unsupported Upper-Limb Exercise, handgrip dynamometry, Five Sit-to-stand test, and quadriceps hand-held dynamometry) and patient-reported outcome (Euroqol-5 dimensions 5 Levels Visual Analogue Scale).

RESULTS

In total, 115 participants were included in the study and divided into three groups: high-risk, low-risk and control group. At discharge high-risk patients presented a poorer exercise capacity and a worse self-perceived health status (P < 0.05). One month after discharge patients in the high-risk group maintained these differences compared to the other groups.

CONCLUSION

Our results show a poorer recovery in high-risk patients at discharge and 1 mo after surgery, with lower self-perceived health status and a poorer upper and lower limb exercise capacity. These results are important in the rehabilitation field.

Reduction in Short- and Long-term Pneumonia Rate With Laryngoplasty for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of laryngoplasty, voice therapy, and pneumonia rate in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

STUDY DESIGN

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Data were collected from the LHID2000 (Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000), containing the information of 1 million randomly selected patients in Taiwan.

METHODS

In the LHID2000, we identified 439 patients having new diagnoses of UVFP from 1997 to 2013. We grouped the aforementioned patients according to UVFP treatment and probed the occurrence of pneumonia: 305 patients underwent laryngoplasty or voice therapy, and 134 patients did not undergo treatment. Follow-up procedures were executed for the enrollees until death or December 31, 2013, representing the end of the study period. We assessed the association of UVFP treatment and pneumonia by executing Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

The pneumonia cumulative incidence was significantly higher among enrolled patients without treatment than in those receiving treatment (P < .001). The pneumonia incidence was significantly lower in patients receiving UVFP treatment (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.27-0.88; P = .018), as validated by the Cox proportional hazards model after adjustment. Patients undergoing laryngoplasty with or without voice therapy had a significantly lower incidence of pneumonia at 6 months and 1, 3, and 5 years, whereas those undergoing voice therapy alone did not.

CONCLUSION

Laryngoplasty was associated with a lower incidence of short- and long-term pneumonia in patients with UVFP. Physicians should encourage patients with UVFP at risk of aspiration to receive prompt evaluation as well as treatment.

Effect of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency on intercostal neuralgia after lung cancer surgery: A retrospective study

This retrospective study investigated the effect of ultrasound-guided pulsed radiofrequency (UGPRF) on intercostal neuralgia (ICN) after lung cancer surgery (LCS).This retrospective observational study analyzed the outcome data of UGPRF on ICN in 80 patients with LCS. All those patients were allocated into a treatment group (n = 40) and a control group (n = 40). All patient data were collected between January 2018 and November 2019. The primary outcome was pain intensity (measured by numerical rating scale, NRS). The secondary outcomes were sleep quality (measured by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI), anesthetic consumption, and treatment-related adverse events.After treatment, patients in the treatment group showed better outcomes in NRS (P < .01), PSQI (P < .01), and anesthetic consumption (P < .01), than patients in the control group. No treatment-related adverse events were documented in both groups in this study.The results of this study found that UGPRF may benefit patients for pain relief of ICN after LCS.

Septicemia and mortality after noncardiac surgery associated with CHA2DS2-VASc score: a retrospective cohort study based on a real-world database

Background

Little was know about the association between the CHA2DS2-VASc score and postoperative outcomes. Our purpose is to evaluate the effects of CHA2DS2-VASc score on the perioperative outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

We identified 47,402 patients with AF over the age of 20 years who underwent noncardiac surgeries between 2008 and 2013 from claims data of the National Health Insurance in Taiwan. The CHA2DS2-VASc score was used to evaluate postoperative complications, mortality and the consumption of medical resources by calculating adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Compared with patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0, patients with scores ≥ 5 had an increased risk of postoperative septicemia (OR 2.76, 95% CI 2.00–3.80), intensive care (OR 2.55, 95% CI 2.12–3.06), and mortality (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.14–3.64). There was a significant positive correlation between risk of postoperative complication and the CHA2DS2-VASc score (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The CHA2DS2-VASc score was highly associated with postoperative septicemia, intensive care, and 30-day mortality among AF patients. Cardiologists and surgical care teams may consider using the CHA2DS2-VASc score to evaluate perioperative outcome risks in patients with AF.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12893-021-01209-z.

Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia and prognosis in lung cancer patients after surgery: A retrospective study

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is one of the most frequent complications following lung surgery. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for developing POP and the prognostic factors in lung cancer patients after lung resection.We performed a retrospective review of 726 patients who underwent surgery for stages I-III lung cancer at a single institution between August 2017 and July 2018 by conducting logistic regression analysis of the risk factors for POP. The Cox risk model was used to analyze the factors influencing the survival of patients with lung cancer.We identified 112 patients with POP. Important risk factors for POP included smoking (odds ratio [OR], 2.672; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.586-4.503; P < .001), diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (40-59 vs ≥80%, 4.328; 95% CI, 1.976-9.481; P < .001, <40 vs ≥80%, 4.725; 95% CI, 1.352-16.514; P = .015), and the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score (OR, 2.304; 95% CI, 1.382-3.842; P = .001). In the Cox risk model, we observed that age (hazard ratios (HR), 1.633; 95% CI, 1.062-2.513; P = .026), smoking (HR, 1.670; 95% CI, 1.027-2.716; P = .039), POP (HR, 1.637; 95% CI, 1.030-2.600; P = .037), etc were predictor variables for patient survival among the factors examined in this study.The risk factors for POP and the predictive factors affecting overall survival (OS) should be taken into account for effective management of patients with lung cancer undergoing surgery.

Effects of periodontitis on postoperative pneumonia in patients with lung and esophageal cancer

Background

Few studies have been conducted on the relationship between chronic periodontitis and postoperative pneumonia (POP) in patients with lung and esophageal cancer. Furthermore, it remains controversial as to whether improving the periodontal condition of patients with lung and esophageal cancer before surgery reduces the incidence of POP. This retrospective study was conducted to assess the effects of periodontal therapy in patients with lung and esophageal cancer to prevent POP.

Methods

A total of 265 patients with lung or esophageal cancer complicated with chronic periodontitis who underwent open thoracotomy between July 2015 and June 2019 were selected and given the choice of being in the experimental or control group. A total of 141 participants in the experimental group received periodontal therapy, and 124 participants in the control group did not receive periodontal therapy. All clinical data of participants in both groups were retrospectively studied to determine the incidence of POP on the 30th day after discharge from hospital.

Results

Eight patients in the experimental and six in the control group, respectively, were excluded from the study. It was found that four of the 133 patients suffered from POP in the experimental group (incidence: 3.01%). A total of 18 of 118 patients in the control group had a pulmonary infection (incidence: 15.25%). POP incidence in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group, and in the level analysis of different types of periodontitis, surgical methods, and diseases (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Periodontal treatment is associated with a lower incidence of POP following lung and esophageal cancer surgery. Improving the periodontal condition of patients helps prevent POP. The presence of periodontitis is an important predisposing factor for POP in patients after open thoracotomy. Periodontal examination and therapy are recommended before the surgical treatment of lung or esophageal cancer.

Chronic Progression of Lung Cancer Recurrence After Surgery: Warning Role of Postoperative Pneumonia

PURPOSE

The association between the process of postoperative pneumonia and lung cancer recurrence remains elusive in lung cancer surgery. Herein, the association between postoperative pneumonia and lung cancer recurrence was investigated, emphasizing the warning role of postoperative specific pneumonia in primary lung cancer resection patients.

METHODS

The occurrence of postoperative pneumonia was assessed in 4-6 months (PPFS), 7-12 months (PPST), and lung cancer recurrence within 1 year (LRO) in 332 patients. The primary outcome was the development of PPST and LRO according to PPFS occurrence. The relevant risk factors of PPFS, PPST, and LRO were identified through multivariable regression analysis.

RESULTS

During follow-up, 151 (45.48%) participants experienced PPFS. Irrespective of the existing postoperative pneumonia in 1-3 months (PPOT), PPFS significantly increased the risk of PPST (P < 0.01) and LRO (P < 0.01), and persistent PPST further increased the risk of LRO (P < 0.001). The generalized estimating equation identified chemotherapy as an independent risk factor for PPFS and PPST.

CONCLUSION

PPFS was associated with the increased risk of PPST and LRO. Postoperative pulmonary inflammation assessed 4 months post-surgery also significantly influenced LRO development, indicating a need for close follow-up of lung inflammatory conditions to improve patient outcomes.

Interactions between the enhanced recovery after surgery pathway and risk factors for lung infections after pulmonary malignancy operation

Background

Lung infection is a common complication after thoracic surgery and can lead to severe consequences. Our study was designed to explore the risk factors for postoperative lung infections (POLI) following pulmonary malignancy operation and assess the protective effect of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and their potential interactive relationships.

Methods

A retrospective study included 1,768 patients who underwent surgery between 2013 and 2017 in Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine was performed. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Andersson’s model was applied to evaluate the additive interaction between these factors.

Results

Smoking [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.178–2.198], preoperative heart disease (95% CI: 1.448–4.091), and massive intraoperative blood loss (95% CI: 1.568–3.674) were independent risk factors for postoperative lung infections (POLI), whereas ERAS implementation was protective (95% CI: 0.249–0.441). Interaction analyses indicated that non-ERAS was reciprocally independent with smoking and surgical procedure. It had a synergistic interaction with heart disease [attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) =0.540 (95% CI: 0.179–0.901), synergy index (S) =2.580 (95% CI: 1.016–6.551)], and poor lung function [AP =0.395 (95% CI: 0.016–0.775)], as well as a tendency of antagonistic interaction with blood loss.

Conclusions

Intraoperative blood loss, heart disease, and smoking are independent risk factors of POLI. ERAS implementation is a protective factor and is firstly verified to be more effective on reducing POLI in patients with heart diseases, poor lung function, and less intraoperative blood loss. We provide evidences to implement ERAS and a clue of the most optimal indications for ERAS.

Influence of postoperative complications on long-term outcome after oncologic lung resection surgery. Substudy of a randomized control trial

Lung resection surgery (LRS) causes an intense local and systemic inflammatory response. There is a relationship between inflammation and postoperative complications (POCs). Also, it has been proposed that the inflammation and complications related with the surgery may promote the recurrence of cancer and therefore deterioration of survival. We investigated the association between inflammatory biomarkers, severity of POCs and long-term outcome in patients who were discharged after LRS. This is a prospective substudy of a randomized control trial. We established three groups based in the presence of POCs evaluated by Clavien-Dindo (C-D) classification: Patients with no postoperative complications (No-POCs group) (C-D = 0), patients who developed light POCs (L-POCs group) (C-D = I-II), and major POCs (M-POCs group) (C-D = III, IV, or V). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression model were created to compare survival and oncologic recurrence in those groups. Patients who developed POCs (light or major) had an increase in some inflammatory biomarkers (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8) compared with No-POCs group. This pro-inflammatory status plays a fundamental role in the appearance of POCs and therefore in a shorter life expectancy. Individuals in the M-POCs group had a higher risk of death (HR = 3.59, 95% CI 1.69 to 7.63) compared to individuals in the No-POCs group (p = 0.001). Patients of L-POCs group showed better survival than M-POCs group (HR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.00 to 4.65, p = 0.049). Besides, M-POCs patients had higher risk of recurrence in the first 2 years, when compared with L-POCs (p = 0,008) or with No-POCs (p = 0.002). In patients who are discharged after undergoing oncologic LRS, there is an association between POCs occurrence and long term outcome. Oncologist should pay special attention in patients who develop POCs after LRS.

Comorbidity and early death in Danish stage I lung cancer patients - an individualised approach

Background: Comorbidity is an important prognostic marker and a treatment indicator for lung cancer patients. Register-based studies often describe the burden of comorbidity by the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) based on hospital discharge data. We assessed the association between somatic and psychiatric comorbidity and death within one year in early lung cancer and, furthermore, the burden of comorbidity according to treatment type.Material and methods: We conducted a population-based matched case-control study of stage I lung cancer identifying all treated patients who died (all-cause) within one year after diagnosis (early death group, cases). On the basis of data from the Danish Lung Cancer Registry these patients were then matched with two controls who survived more than one year (survivors). Through a review of the medical records, we validated inclusion criteria and collected data on somatic and psychiatric comorbidity. We assessed the association between comorbidity and early death with multivariate conditional logistic regression.Results: We included 221 cases and 410 controls. The mean CCI score in the early death group was 2.3 vs. 1.3 in the survivor group (p < .001). Still, 22% vs. 30% had a CCI score of zero (p = .04) with an average number of comorbidities among these patients of 1.63 vs. 1.06 respectively (p = .006). Among women, 23% in the early death group had depression vs. 13% in the survivor group, corresponding to an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.0 (CI 95% 1.0-3.7). However, in an adjusted analysis (incl. somatic comorbidities) the OR was 1.7 (CI 95% 0.8-3.5). Patients undergoing oncological therapy were older and tended to have more somatic comorbidities than the surgically treated patients.Conclusion: Comorbidity remains a significant prognostic marker even for stage I lung cancer patients with a CCI score of zero. The suggested association between early death and depression among women needs to be studied further.

[Pneumonectomy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Predictors of Operative Mortality and Survival]

外科手术是目前根治非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）的最有效方式。全肺切除作为一种术式被应用于临床中。对于中央型肺癌，袖式肺叶切除术因其术后肺功能丧失少、术后并发症及死亡率低逐渐取代全肺切除术成为主流。然而为保证肿瘤学效果，当其他术式无法完全切除时，全肺切除术式仍是必要的。全肺切除术后主要发生心肺并发症，充分了解全肺切除术后相关并发症能帮助临床医师及时做出诊断，并进一步采取相关措施降低术后并发症对患者的不良影响。充分了解预后相关危险因素可帮助临床医师提前采取措施尽可能规避风险，从而改善患者预后。

Postoperative complications of pulmonary resection

Thoracic surgery has seen a resurgence in recent years with increasing numbers of cases taken on since the mid-2000s. There has been a paradigm shift in how we manage lung cancer with more emphasis on surgical resection, and this has been aided by minimally invasive video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) techniques. As a result, the prevalence of postoperative findings and complications is also increasing, and it is increasingly important for the general radiologist to recognise and diagnose these conditions as thoracic surgical patients may present acutely to non-thoracic surgical institutions. This review will cover both the early and late complications following a variety of lung resection surgeries.

Effect of oral plaque control on postoperative pneumonia following lung cancer surgery

Background

There have been few studies on the relationship between oral status and postoperative pneumonia (POP) in patients with lung cancer, and whether improving their oral condition assists with a lower incidence of POP before lung cancer surgery remains controversial. This retrospective study was conducted by a stomatologist to assess the effect of controlling oral pathogenic bacteria of patients with lung cancer to prevent POP.

Methods

A total of 235 patients with lung cancer who underwent lobectomy by open thoracotomy between July 2015 and December 2018 were selected and given the choice of being in the experimental or control group. A total of 122 participants in the experimental group received professional oral plaque control, and 113 participants in the control group did not receive plaque control. All clinical data of participants in both groups were retrospectively studied to determine the incidence of POP at the thirtieth day of discharge from hospital.

Results

Eight in the experimental group and six in the control group were excluded from the study. It was found that four of 114 patients suffered from POP in the experimental group (incidence = 3.51%). A total of 17 of 107 patients in the control group had pulmonary infection (incidence = 15.89%). Odds ratio was 0.19. The incidence of POP in the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Professional oral plaque control is associated with a lower incidence of POP following lung cancer surgery and is therefore a favorable factor for preventing POP, and should be carried out before the surgical treatment of lung cancer.

Key points

Professional oral plaque control was associated with a lower incidence of POP following lung cancer surgery, and it is recommended this should be carried out before the surgical treatment of lung cancer.

Postoperative Elevations of Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and Platelet-to-lymphocyte Ratios Predict Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are found to increase in patients who develop postoperative complications (PCs). The aim of the present study was to explore the association of the perioperative changes of NLR (ΔNLR) and PLR (ΔPLR) with PCs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical data of 509 patients, who were diagnosed with NSCLC and underwent thoracoscopic radical resection between January 1, 2014 and July 31, 2016 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, were reviewed. Patients were divided into PC and non-PC groups, and clinical characteristics including ΔNLR and ΔPLR were compared between them. The optimal cut-off values of ΔNLR and ΔPLR were determined by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and patients were assigned to high ΔNLR/ΔPLR and low ΔNLR/ΔPLR groups in terms of the cut-off values. Clinicopathologic characteristics and the incidence of different PCs were compared between the dichotomized groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors for PCs. The results showed that the ΔNLR and ΔPLR in the PC group were signifcantly higher than those in the non-PC group (P<0.001 for both). The optimal cutoff values of ΔNLR and ΔPLR were 6.6 and 49, respectively. Patients with ΔNLR>6.6 or ΔPLR>49 were more likely to experience postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) (P<0.001 for both). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that smoking [odds ratio (OR): 2.450, 95% confdence interval (95% CI): 1.084-5.535, P=0.031)], tumor size (OR: 1.225, 95% CI: 1.047-1.433, P=0.011), ΔNLR>6.6 (OR: 2.453, 95% CI: 1.224-4.914, P=0.011) and ΔPLR>49 (OR: 2.231, 95% CI: 1.182-4.212, P=0.013) were predictive of PPCs. In conclusion, the ΔNLR and ΔPLR may act as novel predictors for PPCs in NSCLC patients undergoing thoracoscopic radical lung resection, and patients with ΔNLR>6.6 or ΔPLR>49 should be treated more actively to prevent or reduce PPCs.

The Value of Decision Analytical Modeling in Surgical Research: An Example of Laparoscopic Versus Open Distal Pancreatectomy

OBJECTIVE

To illustrate how decision modeling may identify relevant uncertainty and can preclude or identify areas of future research in surgery.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

To optimize use of research resources, a tool is needed that assists in identifying relevant uncertainties and the added value of reducing these uncertainties.

METHODS

The clinical pathway for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) versus open (ODP) for nonmalignant lesions was modeled in a decision tree. Cost-effectiveness based on complications, hospital stay, costs, quality of life, and survival was analyzed. The effect of existing uncertainty on the cost-effectiveness was addressed, as well as the expected value of eliminating uncertainties.

RESULTS

Based on 29 nonrandomized studies (3.701 patients) the model shows that LDP is more cost-effective compared with ODP. Scenarios in which LDP does not outperform ODP for cost-effectiveness seem unrealistic, e.g., a 30-day mortality rate of 1.79 times higher after LDP as compared with ODP, conversion in 62.2%, surgically repair of incisional hernias in 21% after LDP, or an average 2.3 days longer hospital stay after LDP than after ODP. Taking all uncertainty into account, LDP remained more cost-effective. Minimizing these uncertainties did not change the outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show how decision analytical modeling can help to identify relevant uncertainty and guide decisions for future research in surgery. Based on the current available evidence, a randomized clinical trial on complications, hospital stay, costs, quality of life, and survival is highly unlikely to change the conclusion that LDP is more cost-effective than ODP.

Excessive intravenous crystalloid infusion after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy is associated with postoperative pneumonia

Background

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has been widely used in thoracic surgery worldwide. Our goal was to identify the risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy between 2016 and 05 and 2017–04 was performed. We used univariate analyses and multivariate analyses to examine risk factors for postoperative pneumonia after lobectomy.

Results

The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was 19.7% (n = 143/727). Patients with postoperative pneumonia had a higher postoperative length of stay and total hospital care costs when compared to those without postoperative pneumonia. Multivariate analysis showed that body mass index grading ≥24.0 kg/m² (vs. <24.0 kg/m²: odds ratio 1.904, 95% confidence interval 1.294–2.802, P = 0.001) and right lung lobe surgery (vs. left lung lobe surgery: odds ratio 1.836, 95% confidence interval 1.216–2.771, P = 0.004) were independent risk factors of postoperative pneumonia. Total intravenous crystalloid infusion grading in the postoperative 24 h ≥ 1500 mL was also identified as the risk factors (vs. 1000 to < 1500 mL: odds ratio 2.060, 95% confidence interval 1.302–3.260, P = 0.002).

Conclusions

Major risk factors for postoperative pneumonia following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy are body mass index grading ≥24.0 kg/m², right lung lobe surgery and total intravenous crystalloid infusion grading in the postoperative 24 h ≥ 1500 mL.

[Postoperative complications after major lung resection]

INTRODUCTION

The advent of the minimally invasive techniques has allowed an expansion of the indications for thoracic surgery, particularly in older patients and those with more comorbidities. However, the rate of postoperative complications has remained stable.

STATE OF THE ART

Postoperative complications are defined as any variation from the normal course. They occur in 30% but majority of them are minor. The 30-day mortality rate for lung resection varies range between 2 % and 3% in the literature. Complications can be classified as: (1) early (occurring in the first 24hours) including both "generic" surgical complications (especially postoperative bleeding) and complications more specific to lung surgery (Acute respiratory syndrome, atelectasis); (2) in-hospital complications and those occurring during the first 3 months; these are dominated by infectious events in particular pneumonia but also bronchial (bronchopleural fistula), pleural (pneumothorax, hydrothorax) or cardiac complications; (3) late complications are dominated by chronic pain, affecting 60% of patients having a thoracotomy at three months. Lobectomy is the most common lung resection. Pneumonectomy is a distinct procedure requiring a specific peri- and postoperative management. Right pneumonectomy is associated with a higher risk with a treatment related-mortality ranging between 7 and 10%.

CONCLUSION

Major lung resection has benefited from minimally invasive approaches and fast track to surgery. However, it is important to note the occurrence of new and specific complications related to those news surgical access.

Epidemiology and Appropriateness of Antibiotic Prescribing in Severe Pneumonia After Lung Resection

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a severe complication of major lung resection. The objective of this study was to describe the current epidemiology and appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions in severe POP, 4 years after implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program that was based on weekly multidisciplinary review of all antibiotic therapies.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. It included all cases of severe POP occurring within 30 days after major lung resection of in a 1,500-bed hospital between 2013 and 2015. Criteria for severe POP were acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis, or a rapidly extensive pulmonary infiltrate. The study collected data on incidence, clinical outcomes, and microbiological analyses. Appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing was assessed by quality indicators previously validated in the literature.

RESULTS

Over the study period, 1,555 patients underwent major lung surgery. Severe POP occurred in 91 patients (5.8%; confidence interval, 4.7%; 7.0%), with a mortality rate of 9.0% (8 of 91; confidence interval, 3.0%; 14.6%). In POP with positive microbiological results, the proportion of gram-negative bacteria other than Haemophilus was 76% (50 of 66 cases). All patients (91 of 91) had respiratory samples taken within 24 hours after the start of antibiotics; empiric therapy was concordant with the guideline in 80% (69 of 86), and it was switched to pathogen-directed therapy in 74% (46 of 62). In 71 of 91 patients (78%), the antibiotic duration was up to 7 days.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reported a high proportion of gram-negative bacteria in severe POP. Four years after implementation of the program, quality indicators of antibiotic prescribing were all >70%. The rate of de-escalation to pathogen-directed therapy could be improved, however.

Deep stacked sparse auto-encoders for prediction of post-operative survival expectancy in thoracic lung cancer surgery

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. The prognostic value of survival after lung cancer surgery has an important role in decision-making for surgeons and patients. The combination of clinical features and CT scan information for diagnosis, treatment and survival of patients with lung cancer increases the accuracy of prediction using machine learning. Therefore, creating a computer intelligent method with low error and high accuracy to predict survival is an important challenge, and it is beneficial for decreasing mortality from lung cancer, and for planning treatment. In this work, we implemented a deep stacked sparse auto-encoder (DSSAE) approach on a thoracic surgery data set for 470 patients, and our results contributing to deep learning based on 16 features were more precise than other suggested techniques for predicting post-operative survival expectancy in thoracic lung cancer surgery. The proposed method achieved a sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 82.86% and g-mean of 88.25%.

Impact of Postoperative Pneumonia Developing After Discharge on Long-Term Follow-up for Resected Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Postoperative nosocomial pneumonia is a common immediate complication following lung resection. However, the incidence and mortality of pneumonia developing after discharge (PDAD) for lung-resected patients during long-term observation remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of PDAD in patients with resected lung cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 357 consecutive patients with lung cancer who had undergone lung resection at a single institution, between April 2007 and December 2016. The clinical characteristics, pathological features, and overall survival were analyzed. Propensity score matched analysis was used for the evaluation of overall survival between PDAD and non-PDAD groups with adjusted relevant confounding factors.

RESULTS

PDAD was observed in 66 patients (18.5%). The cumulative incidence of PDAD was 14.9% at 3 years and 21.6% at 5 years. Mortality of PDAD was 30.3%. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the risk factors for PDAD were age (OR 1.07; P = 0.005), oral steroid use (OR 5.62; P = 0.046), and lower-lobe resection (OR 1.87; P = 0.034). After propensity score matching, 52 patients with PDAD and 52 patients without it were compared. The incidence of PDAD resulted in a worse 5-year overall survival (56.1 vs. 69.3%; P = 0.024). The Cox proportional hazards model indicated that PDAD was associated with poor overall survival (HR 1.99, P = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings revealed a high incidence and mortality of PDAD among patients who had undergone lung resection with long-term follow-up. Therefore, PDAD could be associated with poorer overall survival.

Modifiable risk factors for patients undergoing lung cancer surgery and their optimization: a review

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs include a variety of pre-, intra- and post-operative interventions that seek to decrease the stress response to surgery and facilitate the recovery of surgical patients. There are a number of patient factors that may increase the risk of postoperative complications (POC) after lung cancer surgery and delay recovery. Some of these factors may be amenable to optimization preoperatively and potentially decrease the incidence of these complications. We have chosen to discuss the incidence and complications associated with factors we felt were both relatively common and significant contributors to POCs. For each of these factors we discuss potential avenues for optimization and the evidence for the resulting decrease in complications.

Postoperative lymphopenia: An independent risk factor for postoperative pneumonia after lung cancer surgery, results of a case-control study

Objective

Postoperative lymphopenia has been proposed as a risk factor for postoperative infections but has never been identified as such in a multivariate analysis. Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is one of the most common complications after lung cancer surgery and is associated with a worse outcome. We aimed to evaluate the association between postoperative lymphopenia and POP after lung cancer surgery.

Methods

Patients admitted for lung cancer surgery (lobectomy, bilobectomy, or pneumonectomy) aged ≥ 18 years and with no history of an immunosuppressive state were eligible for inclusion. Lymphocyte counts were determined in blood drawn on the day before surgery and at postoperative days 1, 3 and 7. POP diagnosis was based on clinical, biological and radiological data. A logistic regression model adjusted on currently described risk factors for POP was used to explain the onset of this condition.

Results

Two hundred patients were included, of whom 43 (21.5%) developed POP. Preoperative lymphocyte count was 1.8±0.6x10⁹ cells/L and 2.0±0.7x10⁹ cells/L in patients with and without POP, respectively (P = .091). In both groups, the lymphocyte count nadir occurred at postoperative day 1. In multivariate analysis, lymphopenia at postoperative day 1 was significantly associated with increased risk of POP (odds ratio: 2.63, 95% CI [1.03–5.40]). POP rate at postoperative day 7 was higher in patients presenting low lymphocyte counts (≤1.19x10⁹ cells/L) at postoperative day 1 (P = .003).

Conclusions

Our study showed that lymphopenia following lung cancer surgery was maximal at postoperative day 1 and was associated with POP.

Perioperative changes of serum albumin are a predictor of postoperative pulmonary complications in lung cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

Background

A decrease in serum albumin is commonly observed after lung cancer surgery, however, whether it is associated with postoperative outcomes is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the reduction of serum albumin (ΔALB) on postoperative day one could serve as a predictor of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after thoracoscopic anatomical resection in lung cancer patients.

Methods

Patients characteristics were compared between groups of whether they experienced PPCs or not. The cutoff value of ΔALB was examined by receiver operating characteristic curve to find out the threshold value of ΔALB in predicting PPCs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify potential risk factors for PPCs.

Results

Totally 533 patients were included into analysis, and among them, 52 experienced PPCs. The ΔALB was significant in the PPCs group than in the non-PPCs group (P<0.001), and ΔALB was observed an independent risk factor for PPCs (OR =2.268, 95% CI: 1.153-4.460). The cutoff value of ΔALB in predicting PPCs was 14.97%. Patients with ΔALB ≥14.97% were more likely to have PPCs (P<0.001).

Conclusions

A reduction of serum albumin with a cut-off value of 14.97% can be served as a predictor to identify patients at high risk of developing PPCs following thoracosopic anatomical lung cancer surgery.

Impact of previous head and neck cancer on postoperative complications after surgical resection for lung cancer: a case-control study

Background

Head and neck cancer (HNC) and lung cancer are often linked because of common risk factors. We aimed to assess the risk of postoperative complications in patients with previous HNC undergoing thoracic surgery for lung cancer.

Methods

Patients with previous HNC undergoing surgery for lung cancer were included in this retrospective, monocentric, case-control study. All patients were matched for age, sex, FEV₁, smoking history, and year of surgery with lung cancer patients without previous HNC. Major postoperative complication was defined as at least one of the following during the first 30 days post lung resection (LR): death, shock, need for mechanical ventilation, and pneumonia.

Results

From January 2006 to May 2012, 65 patients with previous HNC underwent LR. Fifty-nine of these patients were included and matched with 120 control patients without HNC. Major complications occurred in 25 [42.4% (95% CI, 29.4-55.4%)] vs. 19 [15.8% (95% CI, 9.2-22.5%)] patients in the HNC and non-HNC groups, respectively (P<0.001). Among the complications, pneumonia occurred in 19 (32.2%) vs. 12 (10%) (P=0.01), and death occurred in 5 (8.5%) vs. 2 (1.7%) patients in the HNC and non-HNC groups, respectively (P=0.04). The following factors were identified by multivariate analysis to be independently associated with postoperative complications: previous HNC [odds ratio (OR) =4.24; (95% CI, 1.84-9.74)], male gender [OR =8.99; (95% CI, 1.05-76.78)], cumulative smoking [OR =1.02 per unit; (95% CI, 1.01-1.04)] and elevated Charlson score [OR =1.45; (95% CI, 1.07-1.96)].

Conclusions

Previous HNC is a major independent risk factor for serious postoperative complications after LR for lung cancer. Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is the most frequent complication.

The Role of an Array of Routine Clinical Variables to the Occurrence and Severity of Postoperative Pneumonia in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Background and purpose:

Data of an array of preoperative/intraoperative clinical variables may carry significant information for predicting the probability of postoperative pneumonia or chest infection in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. We aimed to investigate the association between those variables and the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia (POP) as well as the severity of POP, based on routine laboratory tests, basic characteristics, and perioperative variables during the in-hospital period.

Methods:

A consecutive series of NSCLC patients undergoing lung cancer lobectomy at our department from January 2014 and December 2015 was used as the target patient group and stratified into 2 groups: pneumonia (POP) and non-pneumonia (N-POP), according to occurrence of pneumonia after lobectomy in 30 days. The POP was classified into 5 severity grades, based on the Clavien-Dindo complication classification system.

Results:

Regarding binary logistic regression analysis for risk factors of POP, the following were found to be the independent risk factors of the occurrence of POP: postoperative predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second [ppoFEV1%; odds ratio (OR): 0.996, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.993–0.999; P = 0.021]; Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score &gt;3 (OR: 2.694, 95% CI: 1.462–4.965; P = 0.001); American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)score &gt;3 (OR: 2.066, 95% CI: 1.060–4.029; P = 0.033); postoperative predicted diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide of the lung (ppoDlco%; OR: 0.458, 95% CI: 0.090–0.809; P = 0.014); and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; OR: 2.171, 95% CI: 1.721–2.737; P &lt; 0.001). With regard to risk factors analysis of pneumonia severity via ordinal polytomous logistic regression, the following were the independent risk factors: early stage (OR: 0.626, 95% CI: 0.422–0.929, P = 0.020); CCI score &gt;3 (OR: 1.914, 95% CI: 1.058–3.459, P = 0.032); ppoDlco% (OR: 0.638, 95% CI: 0.445–0.914, P = 0.014); and NLR (OR: 1.218, 95% CI: 1.031–1.436, P = 0.020).

Conclusion:

Among an array of clinical variables in the hospital, major risk factors for POP following LC surgery were ppoFEV1%, ppoDlco%, NLR, ASA score &gt;3, and CCI score&gt;3; meanwhile, ppoDlco%, CCI score&gt;3, NLR, and early tumor stage were the key predictors of POP severity.