Postoperative Pneumonia Prevention in Pulmonary Resections: A Feasibility Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Post-pulmonary resection pneumonia affects 5-12% of patients, causing significant morbidity.
• While oral hygiene reduces ventilator-associated pneumonia, its effect on post-pulmonary resection patients is unknown.
• A prospective pilot study was conducted to evaluate an oral hygiene intervention in patients undergoing elective pulmonary resection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and potential impact of a perioperative oral hygiene intervention on pneumonia rates in patients undergoing elective pulmonary resection.
• To determine patient compliance with a chlorhexidine mouthwash regimen.
• To explore the preliminary efficacy of oral hygiene in reducing postoperative pneumonia.

Main Methods:

• A single-arm, prospective pilot study with time-matched controls.
• Participants underwent elective pulmonary resection for lung cancer and used 0.12% chlorhexidine for oral hygiene three times daily pre- and post-operatively.
• Eligibility criteria included specific lung resection types and pulmonary function parameters.

Main Results:

• High preoperative adherence (median 100%) to the chlorhexidine regimen was observed.
• Postoperative adherence was 80%, with a median adherence of 86% among participants.
• A trend towards reduced pneumonia was noted: 1.6% in the intervention group vs. 4.9% in controls (p=0.35).

Conclusions:

• Patients can comply with an inexpensive perioperative oral hygiene regimen.
• The intervention shows promise for reducing morbidity associated with pulmonary resection.
• Further investigation is warranted to confirm the efficacy of this oral hygiene approach.