A new study published in The Spine Journal examines patients who contracted postoperative pneumonia after anterior cervical decompression and fusion.
The researchers examined 11,353 patients who underwent ACDF from 2011 to 2013 using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The researchers found:
1. There was a 0.45 percent pneumonia incidence rate.
2. The independent risk factors for developing pneumonia include:
• Older age
• Dependent functional status
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Longer operating time
3. The patients with pneumonia had a higher readmission rate than the patients who didn't — 72.7 percent of the pneumonia patients were readmitted, compared with 2.4 percent of the patients who did not.
4. Around 10.2 percent of all the ACDF readmissions were due to pneumonia.
5. The researchers recommended counseling, monitoring and preventative interventions for patients to avoid postoperative pneumonia.
"Approximately three in four patients who develop pneumonia following hospitalization for ACDF procedures are readmitted," reported the study authors. "This elevated readmission rate has implications for bundled payments and hospital performance reports."