Stair climbing test as a predictor of cardiopulmonary complications after pulmonary lobectomy in the elderly.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to assess the role of a symptom-limited stair climbing test in predicting postoperative cardiopulmonary complications in elderly candidates for lung resection.


METHODS
A consecutive series of 109 patients more than 70 years of age who underwent pulmonary lobectomy for lung carcinoma from January 2000 through May 2003 formed the prospective database of this study. All patients in the analysis performed a preoperative symptom-limited stair climbing test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications.


RESULTS
At univariate analysis, the patients with complications had a lower forced expiratory capacity percentage of predicted (p = 0.048), predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume in 1 second percentage of predicted (p = 0.049), climbed a lower height at preoperative stair climbing test (p = 0.0004), and presented a greater proportion of cardiac comorbiditiy with respect to the patients without complications (p = 0.02). After logistic regression analysis, significant predictors of postoperative complications resulted in the presence of a concomitant cardiac disease (p = 0.04) and a low height climbed preoperatively (p = 0.0015).


CONCLUSIONS
A symptom-limited stair climbing test was a safe and simple instrument capable of predicting cardiopulmonary complications in the elderly after lung resection.
Brunelli
Alessandro
A
Department of Respiratory Diseases, "Umberto I degrees " Regional Hospital, Ancona, Italy. alexit_2000@yahoo.com
Monteverde
Marco
M
Al Refai
Majed
M
Fianchini
Aroldo
A
D000368:Aged; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies