RESUMO
Objective To investigate the effects of different types of anesthesia on the incidence rates of low-er respiratory tract infections of elderly patients in orthopedic department.Methods Clinical data from 445 elderly patients in orthopedic department were collected and retrospectively analyzed.We also investigated the relationship be-tween the types of anesthesia and the lower respiratory tract infections.Results The incidence rates of lower respira-tory tract infections were 23.08%in 169 cases,12.14%in 173 cases,and 4.85%in 103 cases after general anesthe-sia with tracheal intubation,intraspinal anesthesia,and nerve blocking anesthesia,respectively.There was statistically significant difference in the infection rates among the three groups (χ2 =13.784,P=0.001).Conclusion Different ways of anesthesia is critically correlated with the incidence of the lower respiratory tract infections in elderly patients.