Journal Article

Clinical, Microbiological and Treatment Characteristics of Severe Postoperative Respiratory Infections: An Observational Cohort Study

Luque, Sonia, Adalia, Ramón, Vallès, Jordi, Horcajada, Juan P., Ramos, Isabel, Benítez-Cano, Adela, Bermejo, Silvia, Sorlí, Luisa, Zaragoza, Irene, Carazo, Jesús

2023

Overview

Respiratory infections are frequent and life-threatening complications of surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical, microbiological and treatment characteristics of severe postoperative pneumonia (POP) and tracheobronchitis (POT) in a large series of patients. This single-center, prospective observational cohort study included patients with POP or POT requiring intensive care unit admission in the past 10 years. We recorded demographic, clinical, microbiological and therapeutic data. A total of 207 patients were included, and 152 (73%) were men. The mean (SD) age was 70 (13) years and the mean (SD) ARISCAT score was 46 (19). Ventilator-associated pneumonia was reported in 21 patients (10%), hospital-acquired pneumonia was reported in 132 (64%) and tracheobronchitis was reported in 54 (26%). The mean (SD) number of days from surgery to POP/POT diagnosis was 6 (4). The mean (SD) SOFA score was 5 (3). Respiratory microbiological sampling was performed in 201 patients (97%). A total of 177 organisms were cultured in 130 (63%) patients, with a high proportion of Gram-negative and multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria (20%). The most common empirical antibiotic therapy was a triple-drug regimen covering MDR Gram-negative bacteria and MRSA. In conclusion, surgical patients are a high-risk population with a high proportion of early onset severe POP/POT and nosocomial bacteria isolation.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Antibiotics / Bacterial pneumonia / Cohort analysis / Complications and side effects / Confidence intervals / Data collection / Development and progression / Disease prevention / Drug resistance / Gram-negative bacteria / Hospitals / Infections / Infectious diseases / Intensive care / Lavage / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Microbiology / Mortality / Multidrug resistance / Observational studies / Pathogens / Patients / Pneumonia / Precision medicine / Respiratory tract infection / Risk factors / Society / Staphylococcal infections / Surgery / Tracheobronchitis / Ventilator-associated pneumonia / Ventilators