The Evaluation of Postoperative Acute Respiratory Failure in Primary Lung Cancer with Interstitial Pneumonia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Since acute respiratory failure was one of the most fatal postoperative complications in lung cancer surgery, to know its incidence, and predisposing factors is very important. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between pre-operative interstitial pneumonia (IP) and post-operative acute respiratory failure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 672 patients with lung cancer who underwent curative pulmonary resection at the Hospital of Catholic University Medical College between 1997 and 2005 was undertaken. The patients were divided into two groups according to preexisting interstitial pneumonia or not by pre-operative chest HRCT or findings of pathologic papers. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (4.2%) developed post- operative respiratory failure and this proved to be fatal in 21 of these patients. We could find preoperative interstitial pathology in 53 patients (7.9%) among the 672 patients. The incidences of respiratory failure were 11.3% (6/53 cases) and 3.6% (22/619 cases) in IP group and non-IP group respectively. CONCLUSION: Interstitial pneumonia considered of one of the risk factors for developing postoperative acute respiratory failure in patients with lung cancer.