Is atelectasis related to the development of postoperative pneumonia? a retrospective single center study.

BACKGROUND: Atelectasis may play a substantial role in the development of pneumonia. However, pneumonia has never been evaluated as an outcome of atelectasis in surgical patients. We aimed to determine whether atelectasis is related to an increased risk of postoperative pneumonia, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and hospital length of stay (LOS). METHODS: The electronic medical records of adult patients who underwent elective non-cardiothoracic surgery under general anesthesia between October 2019 and August 2020 were reviewed. They were divided into two groups: one who developed postoperative atelectasis (atelectasis group) and the other who did not (non-atelectasis group). The primary outcome was the incidence of pneumonia within 30 days after the surgery. The secondary outcomes were ICU admission rate and postoperative LOS. RESULTS: Patients in the atelectasis group were more likely to have risk factors for postoperative pneumonia including age, body mass index, a history of hypertension or diabetes mellitus and duration of surgery, compared with those in the non-atelectasis. Among 1,941 patients, 63 (3.2%) developed postoperative pneumonia; 5.1% in the atelectasis group and 2.8% in the non-atelectasis (P = 0.025). In multivariable analysis, atelectasis was associated with an increased risk of pneumonia (adjusted odds ratio, 2.33; 95% CI: 1.24 - 4.38; P = 0.008). Median postoperative LOS was significantly longer in the atelectasis group (7 [interquartile range: 5-10 days]) than in the non-atelectasis (6 [3-8] days) (P < 0.001). Adjusted median duration was also 2.19 days longer in the atelectasis group (ß, 2.19; 95% CI: 0.821 - 2.834; P < 0.001). ICU admission rate was higher in the atelectasis group (12.1% vs. 6.5%; P < 0.001), but it did not differ between the groups after adjustment for confounders (adjusted odds ratio, 1.52; 95% CI: 0.88 - 2.62; P = 0.134). CONCLUSION: Among patients undergoing elective non-cardiothoracic surgery, patients with postoperative atelectasis were associated with a 2.33-fold higher incidence of pneumonia and a longer LOS than those without atelectasis. This finding alerts the need for careful management of perioperative atelectasis to prevent or reduce the adverse events including pneumonia and the burden of hospitalizations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: None.

Creation of a three-dimensional printed spine model for training in pain procedures.

OBJECTIVE: Technological developments have made it possible to create simulation models to educate clinicians on surgical techniques and patient preparation. In this study, we created an inexpensive lumbar spine phantom using patient data and analyzed its usefulness in clinical education. METHODS: This randomized comparative study used computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging data from a single patient to print a three-dimensional (3D) bone framework and create a mold. The printed bones and structures made from the mold were placed in a simulation model that was used to train residents. The residents were divided into two groups: Group L, which received only an audiovisual lecture, and Group P, which received an additional 1 hour of training using the 3D phantom. The performance of both groups was evaluated using pretest and post-test analyses. RESULTS: Both the checklist and global rating scores increased after training in both groups. However, some variables improved significantly only in Group P. The overall satisfaction score was also higher in Group P than in Group L. CONCLUSIONS: We have described a method by which medical doctors can create a spine simulation phantom and have demonstrated its efficiency for procedural education.