POSTOPERATIVE PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The surgical service of any large general hospital is still faced with the problem of prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications. The numerous studies made during the past fifteen years have consistently shown the frequency of these complications. Many theories have been proposed regarding the etiology and treatment of them, but none have been accepted as entirely satisfactory. Certain facts, however, are becoming definitely established and an intensive study, made at the Massachusetts General Hospital during the past two years, has given new emphasis to some of these points. Statistical observations are published in another article,¹but in the main they have shown that: an overwhelming majority of postoperative pulmonary complications occurs after laparotomy and herniorrhaphy (14.0 per cent); they are especially frequent after operations on the stomach, gallbladder and intestines (40.2, 18.8 and 20.8 per cent, respectively); they occur at least twice as frequently in men as in women,