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Pulmonary Risk Score for Predicting Postoperative Pulmonary Complications

Purpose: To evaluate a patient for risk of postoperative pulmonary complications using the Pulmonary Risk Score of Hulzebos et al.

Description

Hulzebos et al developed the pulmonary risk score to identify patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery who are at risk for postoperative pulmonary complications. This can help identify patients who may benefit from more aggressive preoperative preparation and postoperative management. The authors are from University Medical Center and Children's Hospital in Utrecht, the Netherlands.


Parameters:

(1) age in years

(2) cough and expectoration

(3) diabetes mellitus

(4) current smoker

(5) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

(6) body mass index

(7) spirometry findings

 

Parameter

Finding

Points

age in years

<= 70 years

0

 

> 70 years

1

cough and expectoration

absent

0

 

present

1

diabetes mellitus

absent

0

 

present

1

current smoker

no

0

 

yes

1

COPD

with FEV1 < 75% of predicted OR using pulmonary medicines

1

 

neither of the above

0

body mass index

<= 27 kg per square meter

0

 

> 27 kg per square meter

1

spirometery

FEV1 < 80% of predicted AND FEV1/FVC < 70% of predicted

2

 

none or one of the above

0

 

total score =

= SUM(points for all 7 parameters)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum score: 0

• maximum score: 8

• The higher the score the greater the risk of having a postoperative pulmonary complication.

 

Total Score

Risk of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications

0 or 1

low

2 to 8

high

 


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10