Desaturation during the stair-climbing test for patients who will undergo pulmonary resection: an indicator of postoperative complications.

Objective: It is widely accepted that exercise tolerance tests are applicable in perioperative risk assessment for patients who undergo pulmonary resection; however, the relevance of desaturation during the test is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the occurrence of desaturation during a stair-climbing test can be a predictor of postoperative complications among patients who will undergo pulmonary resection and are considered "normal risk" according to published guidelines.

Methods: Desaturation was defined as a depression of more than 4% points on a pulse oximeter during stair climbing. Among 186 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection, 162 patients who could climb to the 6th floor were selected for the study (excluding 21 patients who could not stair-climb and 3 patients who could not climb from the first floor to the sixth floor). The relationship of desaturation with postoperative complication was investigated using parameters of cardio-pulmonary status associated with additional foci of oxygen supply duration, intensive care unit stay duration, and hospital stay duration.

Results: The occurrence ratio of postoperative complications > grade 3 (Clavien-Dindo classification) was 0.75% (1/133) among patients without desaturation and 17.2% (5/29) in patients with desaturation (difference: p = 0.0002). In addition, DS was an indicator of prolonged oxygen supply duration, intensive care unit stay duration, and hospital stay duration.

Conclusion: The occurrence of desaturation during a stair-climbing test for patients who will undergo pulmonary resection can be a predictor of postoperative complications among patients who are classified as having normal risk.