Preoperative Pulmonary Function Testing

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-112-10-793

Preoperative Pulmonary Function Testing

Excerpt

The perception that pulmonary function tests, particularly spirometry, are informative, easy to do, and well accepted by patients has led to their liberal use by both general internists and pulmonary specialists. We address use of pulmonary function tests before surgical operations for the purpose of anticipating perioperative pulmonary problems. Ideally, preoperative pulmonary function tests should be restricted to circumstances in which careful studies have documented the clinical utility of results obtained; however, few such studies exist [Appendix].

Because operative site is a determinant of postoperative pulmonary complications, general recommendations for all surgical patients are not possible [1.3]. Rather, the recommendations

This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments: The authors thank Cathy Bryant for manuscript preparation; and members of the CEAP committee for their thoughtful suggestions, particularly Linda Johnson White and David Borofsky, MD, for their encouragement and support.

Article and Author Information

↵* This paper was authored by Joseph D. Zibrak, MD; Carl R. O'Donnell, ScD; and Keith I. Marton, MD; and was developed for the Health and Public Policy Committee by the Clinical Efficacy Assessment Subcommittee: Lockhart B. McGuire, MD, Chair, Paul Calabresi, MD; Ernest L. Mazzaferri, MD; Albert G. Mulley, Jr., MD; Charles C. Smith, Jr., MD; Harold J. Sox, Jr., MD; Earl P. Steinberg, MD. Members of the Health and Public Policy Committee were: Paul F. Griner, MD, Chair, Thomas P. Almy, MD; F. Daniel Duffy, MD; John M. Eisenberg, MD; Richard G. Farmer, MD; Donald I. Feinstein, MD; C. S. Lewis, MD; Lockhart B. McGuire, MD; Steven A. Schroeder, MD; Lynn B. Tepley, MD; Quentin D. Young, MD. This paper was approved by the Board of Regents on 17 February 1989.
Requests for Reprints: Joseph D. Zibrak, MD, Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, New England Deaconess Hospital, 185 Pilgrim Road, Boston, MA 02161.