[The relationship between preoperative small airway function tests and postoperative airway infection in patients...

The article reports the results of preoperative small airway function tests among 116 cases of esophageal carcinoma and its relationship with the postoperative airway infection. Among three main parameters reflecting narrowing of small airway, %V25/HT is the most sensitive one, %MMEF comes next, and %FEV1 the least, Eight-eight of 116 cases without any other postoperative complications were enrolled. The morbidity of postoperative airway infection in this group was 62.5%. They were divided into three groups according to %V25/HT: group I with normal small airway function (%V25/HT > 70%, 26 cases), group II with moderately deviated function (%V25/HT 46-70%, 31 cases), group III with severely deviated function (%V25/HT < 45%, 31 cases). The morbidity rate of postoperative airway infection and the average fever period in the three groups were 50%, 51.6%, 83.3% and 60, 74, 108 hours, respectively. The difference between group I and group III, between group II and group III are significant statistically both in the morbidity rate and the fever period of postoperative airway infection. If divided by different modes of operation, the average postoperative fever perioed in intrathoracic and neck anastomosis group was 79 and 105 hours. The difference between the above two groups is remarkable but not significant statistically. The results come to a conclusion that the patients undergoing larger operation and with more severe abnormal small airway function usually have longer and more severe postoperative airway infection.