AUTHOR=Cheng Wei , Chen Jianwei , Sun Jianhua , Zhang Jiahui , Li Dongkai , Wang Hao , Li Zunzhu , Cui Na 

TITLE=Role of Intensified Lung Physiotherapy Bundle on the Occurrence of Pneumonia After Cardiac Surgery

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.844094

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2022.844094

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=Objective: The role of intensified lung physiotherapy bundle after cardiac surgery was investigated.
Methods: A before-after comparison was conducted between from 1/1/2018 to 31/12/2019 (control group), when traditional lung physiotherapy bundle was used, and from 1/1/2020 to 1/5/2021 (study group), when the intensified bundle was used. Baseline data, clinical features, incidence of postoperative pneumonia and prognoses of all the enrolled cardiac surgery patients were analysed.
Results: In accordance with study criteria, 358 patients were enrolled. The incidence rate of postoperative pneumonia was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (14.2% vs 22.7%, P=0.037), as was in-hospital mortality (1.5% vs 5.2%, P=0.043). Patients receiving the intensified lung physiotherapy bundle had much shorter mechanical ventilation time (92 vs 144 h, P<0.0001), ICU stay (5 vs 7 days, P<0.001) and hospital stay (17 vs 18.5 days, P=0.022). The intensified lung physiotherapy bundle was an independent protective factor enabling reduced occurrence of pneumonia (P=0.007). On univariate analysis, this bundle significantly improved in-hospital mortality (P=0.043).
Conclusions: Our intensified lung physiotherapy bundle potentially reduces the rate of postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery. This bundle could also be adopted as a suitable reference guideline for the prevention of other postoperative pulmonary complications.