It has been estimated that worldwide >230 million major operations occur annually. Of these, incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) varies between <1 to 23%. Although many studies have identified the risk factors associated with PPC, these factors continue to be a significant cause of mortality and morbidity. Here, we will review the contributing factors and early management of respiratory complications.
Approximately 16% of the patients suffer a complication within 30 days after a major surgery is performed. These complications include thromboelmbolic complications, surgical site infection complications, and postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) to name a few. Some complications are generally under-reported as they do not account for the hospital records or quality measures. PPC have usually been defined as the events occurring in the postoperative period and…
