title: Post-operative pulmonary complications: Understanding definitions and risk assessment.
abstract: Post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) can have severe consequences and their incidence is high. In recent years, PPCs have been the subject of numerous studies and articles, which have provided a great deal of information that is beneficial but that can cause confusion on a practical level. This review focusses on three main points: (1) the definitions of PPCs, which are heterogeneous and often vary from one report to another, despite emerging consensus; (2) the risk as reflected in the pool of PPC predictors, with each study identifying some but leaving us with a myriad of combinations; and (3) the many PPC prediction scores proposed, each with its strengths and limitations. We attempt to clarify the practical and research implications of the current situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques (IMIM), Passeig Maritim 25, 08003 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: lgallart@hospitaldelmar.cat.
authors.forename: Lluís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gallart
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Carretera del Canyet s/n, Badalona, 08916 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: jcanet.germanstrias@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Canet
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: cohort studies; lung diseases; post-operative complications; predictive value of tests; prospective studies; quality control; respiratory tract infections; risk assessment; risk factors