Abstract
Postoperative pneumonia is sometimes a life-threatening complication of surgery for lung cancer. We retrospectively reviewed patients who developed postoperative pneumonia after surgery for lung cancer in order to assess the clinical, microbiological, and therapeutic features of this complication. Between 2001 and 2009, 836 patients underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer in our hospital. Postoperative pneumonia developed in 23 patients (2.8%). Diagnoses of pneumonia were performed on postoperative day 6.8 ± 3.4 (mean ± SD). Plain chest radiography revealed abnormal shadows on the operative side in 20 patients; 2 patients had bilateral pneumonia and 1 underwent pneumonectomy. Computed tomography was performed in 17 patients, and, among them, 13 patients (76.5%) had infiltrative shadows in the caudal or dorsal portion of the operative side of the lung. Nine patients (39.1%) were intubated in order to perform mechanical ventilation, and 4 of them died. Sputum cultures were performed in 12 patients, and pathogenic microorganisms were isolated in 4 (33.3%). The culturing of endotracheal specimens was carried out in 12 patients; among them, normal flora of the oral cavity was isolated in 4 patients (33.3%), no microorganisms were identified in 1 patient (8.3%), and pathogenic microorganisms were isolated in 7 patients (58.3%). The patients whose specimens tested positive for pathogenic microorganisms tended to develop severe pneumonia. We conclude that the insufficient drainage of respiratory tract secretions and silent aspiration after lung surgery are associated with the development of postoperative pneumonia. Further, obtaining and analyzing lower respiratory tract secretions is an important step in the management of postoperative pneumonia.
