[Cardio-respiratory complications after major abdominal surgery in elderly patients. Risk factors and prognosis]

One hundred and eleven patients over 65 years of age underwent a major abdominal surgery between March 1986 and February 1987. The cardiorespiratory (CR) complications found were: cardiovascular (CV) failure 36%, post-operative myocardial infarction 5%, respiratory (R) failure 24%, pneumonia 11%. The overall mortality rate was 36%. The factors related with CV failure were: age over 75 years, ischemic cardiopathy, Goldman 3 and over, ASA III and over, cardiac failure, transoperatory hypotension and over 4 hours duration surgery. The ones related with myocardial infarction were: age over 75 years, Goldman 3 and over, ASA III and over, over 4 hours duration surgery and vital capacity (VC) less than 60%. For pneumonia the only related factor was VC less than 60%. For mortality, the factors found were Goldman 3 and over, ASA III and over and VC less than 60%. The mortality rate in patients without CR failure was 9%, with CV failure 35% (p less than 0.01), with R failure 33% and CR failure 90% (p less than 0.001).