Predictors of prolonged hospital stay in patients undergoing lung resection.

Purpose: To identify potential predictors of prolonged length of hospital stay in patients submitted to lung resection surgery.

Materials and methods: This is a cohort study, carried out in 105 patients with lung cancer, submitted to posterolateral thoracotomy pulmonary resection. Data collection included preoperative assessment of demographic, clinical, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle function, physical fitness, and behavioral habits. After surgery, length of hospital stay was documented, and the sample was divided into two groups according to the length of hospital stay (LOS): the normal hospital stay group (NLOS) until 8 days, and the prolonged hospital stay group (PLOS) with more than 8 days of hospital stay. Multiple linear regressions were performed between length of hospital stay and the studied variables, for the total sample and, specifically, for the PLOS group.

Results: The multiple linear regression for the total sample, the most explanatory power variables were TLC, MIP, PEF, and BMI. When considering only the PLOS, the variables that mostly explained were the MIP%, MEP and TLC%.

Conclusion: Besides the classic outcomes used to calculate surgical risk, the body mass index, respiratory muscle strength, peak expiratory flow, and total lung capacity are predictors of the variation on length of hospital stay in patients submitted to lung resection.