Risk factors for the development of postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE Identify risk factors that determine pneumonia development in patients who have undergone cardiac surgery. METHODS Prospective study of a single cohort in a postoperative intensive care unit at a tertiary care center, encompassing all patients undergoing cardiac surgery from January to July 2014. RESULTS 31 postoperative pneumonia cases were enrolled out of 211 patients (14.6%). The following independent risk factors were identified: hypertension (OR: 3.94, p=0.01), chronic renal failure (OR: 13.67, p=0.02), reintubation (OR: 22.29, p=0.001) and extubation after 6h (OR: 15.81, p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS Main determinants for pneumonia after surgery were hypertension, chronic renal failure, extubation after 6h and reintubation.