The analysis of postoperative wound healing, infection risk prediction, and nursing intervention strategies for elderly patients with lung cancer.

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer poses a significant public health challenge, particularly among the elderly population, with implications for postoperative outcomes following surgical intervention. However, the comprehensive analysis of factors affecting postoperative wound healing and infection risk, along with the impact of targeted nursing interventions, remains understudied in this patient population.

METHODS

This retrospective case-control study involved elderly patients who underwent lung cancer surgery. Data on patient demographics, disease-related features, surgical and clinical parameters, postoperative biomarkers, complications, and nursing interventions were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, logistic regression, and predictive value analyses, were performed to investigate the associations and predictive values of various factors with postoperative wound healing and infection risk.

RESULTS

In this retrospective case-control study, we compared the demographic characteristics of 197 patients with good wound healing to a group of 106 patients with poor wound healing, then the patients were divided into 275 patients in non-infected and 28 patients in infected groups based on postoperative infection status. Age and Charlson Comorbidity Index showed significance in postoperative wound healing. Disease-related features such as lung cancer stage, histological type, and diabetes mellitus were associated with wound healing and infection risk. Surgical duration, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, and specific biomarkers correlated with wound healing. Postoperative complications, specifically pneumonia, atelectasis, wound infection, and pleural effusion, were more prevalent in the group with poor wound healing. Nursing interventions including early mobilization, nutritional support, pain management, and antibiotic prophylaxis were more common in the group with good wound healing.

CONCLUSION

Age, comorbidities (particularly Charlson Comorbidity Index of 5.57 versus 4.92), and advanced cancer stage were significant predictors of poor wound healing. Early mobilization (85.28% versus 70.75%), nutritional support, pain management, and antibiotic prophylaxis demonstrated protective effects against poor wound healing and infection in elderly lung cancer patients.