Pulmonary complications of general surgery.

1. Patients should be divided preoperatively into low- or high-risk categories, depending on their probability of developing postoperative pulmonary complications. The evaluation should include spirometry as well as an assessment of the previously defined risk factors. 2. Patients in a low-risk category need only instruction in deep breathing pre- and postoperatively. Routine use of supplemented oxygen postoperatively is reasonable until it can be demonstrated whether such is necessary. 3. High-risk patients should be as free as possible of respiratory secretions at the time of surgery. A regimen for this purpose includes cessation of smoking, and administration of inhaled bronchodilators followed by chest percussion and postural drainage. 4. High-risk patients should be carefully instructed in deep breathing and coughing preoperatively. A mechanical device such as an incentive spirometer may be beneficial in this regard. If it is not possible to achieve spontaneous deep breathing, an attempt to accomplish this by IPPB may be undertaken. The tidal volume desired should be ordered. If IPPB does not result in large tidal volumes, it should be discontinued. 5. The deep breathing procedure found to be most successful preoperativelly should be continued postoperatively. 6. The patient should be as mobile as possible while in bed and ambulated as soon as is feasible. 7. Patients with preoperative expiratory flows of less than 20% of predicted values or with chronic hypercapnia should be carefully observed for postoperative ventilatory failure.