PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Carla Suarez
AU  - Nuria Toledo Pons
AU  - Juan Antonio Torrecilla Medina
AU  - Valerio Perna Perna
AU  - Orlando Gigirey Castro
AU  - Elisabet Arango Tomas
AU  - Angel Francisco Carvajal Carrasco
AU  - Ernest Sala Llinas
TI  - Role of the pulmonologist in a thoracic surgery department
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA3407
DP  - 2021 Sep 05
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - PA3407
VI  - 58
IP  - suppl 65
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3407.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3407.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2021 Sep 05; 58
AB  - Introduction: The increasing complexity of surgical patients has developed co-management strategies between medical and surgical departments with remarkable results. These strategies have been described through two modalities: shared care (SC) and interconsultations (ICs).Objectives: To describe the collaborative programme (co-management strategy [CMS]) between the Respiratory department (RD) and the Thoracic Surgery department (TSD) at a tertiary hospital in Mallorca.Material and methods: The CMS was based on the assignment of a pulmonologist (PU) to the TSD. The PU took part in the daily TSD clinical sessions. SC was performed in patients selected because either they were admitted for a major surgery or they had a chronic respiratory disease, and the ICs were performed to the admitted patients with medical complications.Results: The CMS was applied in 94 out of the 173 patients admitted in TSD throughout the evaluation period (14 weeks). The mean age was 61 ± 16 (mean ± SD) years (85.7% male). COPD was the most frequent comorbidity (21.8%). SC was performed in 56 patients (59.7%) whereas ICs just in 38. The median hospital stay of these patients was 7 (4–11) days. The most frequent complications were nosocomial infections (23%) and acute respiratory failure (ARF) (21.3%). ICs were carried out mainly because of respiratory infections (13%) and ARF (15.7%). On average, the PU performed 4 ± 7 visits per patient. Intrahospital mortality rate was 4%.Conclusions: In a TSD, the role of a PU can contribute to the evaluation and follow-up of the most complex patients, helping thoracic surgeons to focus primarily on their surgical activity rather than in the management of medical complications.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3407.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).