Analysis of factors related to postoperative pulmonary infection in lung cancer patients after recovery from COVID-19

Objective: To explore factors related to postoperative pulmonary infection in lung cancer patients after recovery from COVID-19 and to provide methods for preventing and reducing the incidence of postoperative lung infection in patients with lung cancer. Methods: A total of 92 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery of Yichang Central People’s Hospital from January 28, 2023, to March 3, 2023, were selected. They were divided into a pulmonary infection group (47 cases) and a nonpulmonary infection group (45 cases) according to whether pulmonary infection occurred. General clinical data of patients were collected and collated to analyse the related influencing factors of pulmonary infection in lung cancer patients after recovery from COVID-19. Results: Univariate analysis showed that patient age (≥ 60 years), fever after COVID-19 infection, oral and laryngeal symptoms, digestive tract symptoms, neurological symptoms, long-term smoking history, hypertension history, and operation time (≥ 3 h) were correlated with pulmonary infection (all P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between postoperative pulmonary infection and sex, ocular, nasal and tongue symptoms, systemic symptoms, duration of COVID-19, COPD, lobectomy site, incision pain, mechanical ventilation time (≥ 6 h), drainage tube retention time (3 d), surgical method( P > 0.05). Logistic multivariate analysis showed that age (≥60 years old), long operation time (≥ 3 h) and long-term smoking history were independent influencing factors for postoperative pulmonary infection in patients with radical resection of lung cancer ( P > 0.05). Conclusion: In this study, older age (≥ 60 years old), long-term smoking history, and long operation time (≥ 3 h) were risk factors for pulmonary infection after lung cancer surgery. In the future, active treatment measures can be taken to address these risk factors during the perioperative period to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection.