Effects of different types of anesthesia on lower respiratory tract infections in elderly patients of orthopedic surgery

Abstract

Objective To investigate the effects of different types of anesthesia on the incidence rates of low-er respiratory tract infections of elderly patients in orthopedic department.Methods Clinical data from 445 elderly patients in orthopedic department were collected and retrospectively analyzed.We also investigated the relationship be-tween the types of anesthesia and the lower respiratory tract infections.Results The incidence rates of lower respira-tory tract infections were 23.08%in 169 cases,12.14%in 173 cases,and 4.85%in 103 cases after general anesthe-sia with tracheal intubation,intraspinal anesthesia,and nerve blocking anesthesia,respectively.There was statistically significant difference in the infection rates among the three groups （χ^2=13.784,P=0.001）.Conclusion Different ways of anesthesia is critically correlated with the incidence of the lower respiratory tract infections in elderly patients. Key words: Anesthesia; Respiratory tract infections; Eldy