Zhonghua zhong liu za zhi [Chinese journal of oncology]
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Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi · Dec 2005
[Postoperative respiratory failure in patients with cancer of esophagus and gastric cardia].
We retrospectively analyzed the cause and death risk of 114 postoperative respiratory failure patients found in 3519 patients with esophageal cancer and 1495 patients with carcinoma of gastric cardia surgically treated between January 1992 and May 2003. ⋯ Severe perioperative complications and respiratory tract infection are the two major causes of postoperative respiratory failure in patients with cancer of esophagus and gastric cardia. Patients with severe perioperative complications or poor preoperative pulmonary function or association with more than two kinds of postoperative complications have much higher death risk than other patients when they develop postoperative respiratory failure. Careful manipulation during operation and effective perioperative management are the most important measures to avoid postoperative respiratory failure and high mortality.