Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Associations of a positive intra-operative air–test with postoperative pulmonary complications in general surgery patients: A single-centre prospective observational study
Authors' conclusion
The intra-operative air-test is often positive in general surgery patients and is associated with a higher incidence of PPCs.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing intra-operative ventilation during GA for general surgery, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, the Netherlands
- Participants
- 632 adults
- Exposure
- Positive vs negative intra-operative air-test
- Outcome
- Composite of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) (previously used)
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PPCs
P = 0.038
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values |
|---|---|
| Incidence of a positive air-test | Positive air-test 52% |
| Diagnostic accuracy of the air-test for predicting PPCs | Air-test sensitivity 62% · specificity 50% · PPV 19% · NPV 88% |
Baseline characteristics and intra-operative ventilation
- Positive air-test: older, higher BMI, more often smokers and more often COPD; ventilated with higher PEEP and FiO2
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Associations of a positive intra-operative air–test with postoperative pulmonary complications in general surgery patients: A single-centre prospective observational study. Eur J Anaesthesiol. Published 22 October 2025. doi:10.
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