Pulmonary function testing in preoperative high-risk patients

Postoperative respiratory failure is the most frequent complication in postsurgical patients. The purpose of this study is to assess whether pulmonary function testing in high-risk patients during preoperative assessment detects previously unknown respiratory impairments which may influence patient outcomes. A targeted patient screening by spirometry and the measurement of the diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D ) was implemented in the anesthesia department of a tertiary university hospital. Patients of all surgical disciplines who were at least 75 years old or exhibited reduced exercise tolerance with the metabolic equivalent of task less than four (MET