Does ambroxol confer a protective effect on the lungs in patients undergoing cardiac surgery or having lung resection?

Comparison of Clinical Effectiveness Between Ambroxol and N-Acetylcysteine in Surgical Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are a major cause of postoperative morbidity, mortality, and longer hospital stays. Expectorants are widely used during the perioperative period to reduce PPCs. This study aimed to compare the clinical effectiveness between ambroxol (AMB) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in patients undergoing surgery. A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted using deidentified medical records from hospital information system. Between July 1, 2015, and November 30, 2017, patients aged ≥18 years, who received intravenous AMB or nebulized NAC as the only expectorant therapy for >3 days during their hospitalization for thoracic, abdominal, and neurosurgery, were included in this study. The clinical outcomes were evaluated, and propensity score matching was used to adjust significant differences between 2 groups. A total of 4025 cases in the AMB group and 2062 in NAC group after propensity score matching were identified. The incidence of PPCs (13.9% vs 11.6%; P = .013), postoperative sputum suction (17.2% vs 8.0%; P < .001), intensive care unit admission after surgery (25.1% vs 22.5%; P = .024), and postoperative mechanical ventilation (22.3% versus 17.5%; P < .001) in the AMB group were all significantly higher than those in the NAC group. This study suggested that patients treated with NAC during the perioperative period had a significantly lower risk of PPCs. However, further prospective study is needed to ensure the replicability of our findings.

Interventions to avoid pulmonary complications after lung cancer resection

Surgical resection of lung cancer is the preferred treatment for early-stage disease in medically fit patients. The rates of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) such as pneumonia, empyema and atelectasis are as high as 10% in contemporary series. A review of the literature was performed to identify the best evidence supporting interventions to identify, prevent and treat PPCs. The use of patient risk scores, appropriate choice of antibiotic prophylaxis, intraoperative ventilatory strategies, chest physiotherapy, sputum management and non-invasive ventilatory support were specifically discussed, as was the relevant supporting data. Recommendations to guide best practice and inform future research questions are outlined.