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WALTER H. GERWIG, Jr., M.D.; CHARLES W. THOMPSON, M.D.; BRIAN BLADES, M.D.

AMA Arch Surg. 1951;62(5):678-682.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

PULMONARY complications may follow any type of surgery. Pooler¹ has studied 5,869 surgical patients and found the occurrence of pulmonary morbidity following extra-abdominal, lower abdominal and upper abdominal operations to be 1 per cent, 11 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. It is apparent, therefore, that every possible precaution should be employed to prevent these complications in patients who have undergone operations in the upper region of the abdomen. This is particularly true in poor risk patients, patients with pulmonary disease, the aged, and the emotionally unstable who are actual or potential narcotic addicts.

Pain diminishes respiratory excursions; there is a reluctance to cough or breathe deeply. Narcotics will relieve pain but will inhibit the important cough reflexes.

Pooler¹ has attempted to prevent pulmonary complications following operations by the use of intravenous injections of procaine hydrochloride. After administration of the drug he encouraged his patients to cough . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
WASHINGTON, D. C.

From the departments of surgery and medicine, the George Washington University School of Medicine.

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