Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31438866›Full record

ArticleBMC anesthesiology2019

Epidural analgesia and avoidance of blood transfusion are associated with reduced mortality in patients with postoperative pulmonary complications following thoracotomic esophagectomy: a retrospective cohort study of 335 patients.

Kai B Kaufmann, Wolfgang Baar, Torben Glatz, Jens Hoeppner, Hartmut Buerkle, Ulrich Goebel, Sebastian Heinrich

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC anesthesiology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.6field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Epidurals in esophagectomy: end of an era?Journal of thoracic disease · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Kai B KaufmannDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Freiburg, - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany. kai.kaufmann@uniklinik-freiburg.de.ORCID 0000-0002-9511-6633
Wolfgang BaarDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Freiburg, - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
Torben GlatzDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
Jens HoeppnerDepartment of General and Visceral Surgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
Hartmut BuerkleDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Freiburg, - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
Ulrich GoebelDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Freiburg, - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
Sebastian HeinrichDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Freiburg, - University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
University of Freiburg · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPostoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) represent the most frequent complications after esophagectomy. The aim of this study was to identify modifiable risk factors for PPCs and 90-days mortality related to PPCs after esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients.

methodsThis is a single center retrospective cohort study of 335 patients suffering from esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy between 1996 and 2014 at a university hospital center. Statistical processing was conducted using univariate and multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis of patient-specific and procedural risk factors for PPCs and mortality.

resultsThe incidence of PPCs was 52% (175/335) and the 90-days mortality rate of patients with PPCs was 8% (26/335) in this study cohort. The univariate and multivariate analysis revealed the following independent risk factors for PPCs and its associated mortality. ASA score ≥ 3 was the only independent patient-specific risk factor for the incidence of PPCs and 90-days mortality of patients with an odds ratio for PPCs being 1.7 (1.1-2.6 95% CI) and an odds ratio of 2.6 (1.1-6.2 95% CI) for 90-days mortality. The multivariate approach depicted two independent procedural risk factors including transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) odds ratio of 1.9 (1.2-3 95% CI) for PPCs and an odds ratio of 5.0 (2.0-12.6 95% CI) for 90-days mortality; absence of thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) revealed the highest odds ratio 2.0 (1.01-3.8 95% CI) for PPCs and an odds ratio of 3.9 (1.6-9.7 95% CI) for 90-days mortality.

conclusionIn esophageal cancer patients undergoing esophagectomy via thoracotomy, epidural analgesia and the avoidance of intraoperative blood transfusion are significantly associated with a reduced 90-days mortality related to PPCs.

Indexed as

Analgesia, EpiduralBlood TransfusionEsophagectomyFemaleGermanyHumansIncidenceLung DiseasesMaleMiddle AgedPostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesRisk FactorsThoracotomy90-days mortalityBlood transfusionEsophagectomyIndependent risk factorsPostoperative pulmonary complicationsThoracic epidural anesthesia

Identifiers

PMID31438866
PMCPMC6706927
OpenAlexW2969862210

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.