Excessive intravenous crystalloid infusion after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy is associated with postoperative pneumonia

Background Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has been widely used in thoracic surgery worldwide. Our goal was to identify the risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy. Methods A retrospective analysis of adult patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy between 2016 and 05 and 2017–04 was performed. We used univariate analyses and multivariate analyses to examine risk factors for postoperative pneumonia after lobectomy. Results The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was 19.7% ( n = 143/727). Patients with postoperative pneumonia had a higher postoperative length of stay and total hospital care costs when compared to those without postoperative pneumonia. Multivariate analysis showed that body mass index grading ≥24.0 kg/m 2 (vs. <24.0 kg/m 2 : odds ratio 1.904, 95% confidence interval 1.294–2.802, P = 0.001) and right lung lobe surgery (vs. left lung lobe surgery: odds ratio 1.836, 95% confidence interval 1.216–2.771, P = 0.004) were independent risk factors of postoperative pneumonia. Total intravenous crystalloid infusion grading in the postoperative 24 h ≥ 1500 mL was also identified as the risk factors (vs. 1000 to < 1500 mL: odds ratio 2.060, 95% confidence interval 1.302–3.260, P = 0.002). Conclusions Major risk factors for postoperative pneumonia following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy are body mass index grading ≥24.0 kg/m 2 , right lung lobe surgery and total intravenous crystalloid infusion grading in the postoperative 24 h ≥ 1500 mL.