In the past two decades, adult cardiac surgery has developed by leaps and bounds in both anesthetic techniques and surgical methods, whereas the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) has not changed. Until now PPCs are still the most common complications after cardiac surgery, resulting in poor prognosis, significantly prolonged hospital stays and increased medical costs. With the promotion of the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), pre-rehabilitation has been becoming a basic therapy to prevent postoperative complications. Among them, preoperative inspiratory muscle training as a very potential intervention method has been widely and deeply studied. However, there is still no consensus about the definition and diagnostic criteria of PPCs around the world; and there is significant heterogeneity in preoperative inspiratory muscle training in the prevention of pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery in adults, which impedes its clinical application. This paper reviewed the definition, mechanism, and evaluation tools of PPCs, as well as the role, implementation plan and challenges of preoperative inspiratory muscle training in the prevention of PPCs in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, to provide reference for clinical application.
With the continuous development of critical care medicine, the survival rate of critical ill patients continues to increase. However, the residual dysfunction will have a far-reaching impact on the burden on patients, families, and health-care systems, and will significantly increase the demand of the follow-up rehabilitation treatment. Critical illness rehabilitation intervenes patients who are still in the intensive care unit (ICU). It can prevent complications, functional deterioration and dysfunction, improve functional activity and quality of life, shorten the time of mechanical ventilation, the length of ICU stay and hospital stay, and also reduce medical expenses. Experts at home and abroad believe that early rehabilitation of critical ill patients is safe and effective. So rehabilitation should be involved in critical ill patients as early as possible. However, the promotion of this model is still limited by the setting of safety parameters, the ICU culture, the lack of critical rehabilitation professionals, and the physiological and mental cognitive status of patients. Rehabilitation treatment in ICU is constantly being practiced at home and abroad.