Risk factors for postoperative pneumonia in patients with posterior fossa meningioma after microsurgery

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is one of the common complications associated with mortality and morbidity. Even so, it has received little intensive research after microsurgical removal for posterior fossa meningioma (PFM). In this study, we aimed to identify perioperative factors for POP after PFM microsurgery to risk-stratify patients and improve clinical outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively review on all patients who underwent microsurgical resection (n = 321) for PFM from January 2016 to December 2018. To identify the risk factors for POP, we performed univariate and multivariate analyses successively. RESULTS: 44 (13.7%) patients were diagnosed as POP. In accordance with univariate analysis, postoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (<13; p < 0.001), tumor size (≥3cm; p < 0.001), procedure duration (≥3 h; p < 0.001), tumor located in anterior or lateral of brainstem (p < 0.001), estimated blood loss (EBL; > 1000ml; p = 0.001) and brainstem shift (p < 0.001) were associated with POP. By multivariate analysis, the first four were independent risk factors for POP. The study also revealed that POP brought about extended duration of postoperative hospitalization. CONCLUSION: The incidence of POP following PFM microsurgery was significantly high (13.7%). Apart from tumor size (≥3cm) and procedure duration (≥3 h), GCS score (<13) and tumor located in anterior or lateral of brainstem were independent risk factors for POP. Efforts to reduce the duration of surgery, especially among the large tumors located in anterior or lateral of brainstem, may reduce POP rate and hospitalization stay.