Postoperative sputum viscosity is thick in patients with malignant laryngeal tumors: Development of a risk prediction model

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The global incidence of malignant laryngeal tumors is increasing each year, and the high morbidity and mortality rates of these tumors place a heavy burden on the healthcare system. Patients with malignant laryngeal tumors need long-term standardized airway management after surgery, with adequate care to ensure that the artificial airway remains unobstructed for the normal respiratory function of the body. Sputum viscosity will affect effective ventilation of the airway, affect the postoperative functional recovery of patients, reduce quality of life, and severely threaten patient health. Therefore, the present study investigated the risk factors of postoperative sputum viscosity in patients with malignant laryngeal tumors and constructed a line chart prediction model to provide theoretical guidance for clinicians. Materials and Methods By using the convenient sampling method, we recruited 130 patients with malignant laryngeal tumors who were hospitalized in a tertiary care hospital in Shanxi province from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2024. According to the postoperative viscosity of the sputum, the patients were assigned to the viscous group (n = 52) and non-viscous group (n = 78). Patient-related preoperative data were collected through the electronic medical record system of the hospital. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for sputum viscosity after the tumor removal surgery, and the line chart prediction model was drawn with R software. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to determine the goodness of fit for the model, and a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was constructed to detect the prediction effect of the model. Results The incidence of viscous postoperative sputum was 40% in patients with malignant laryngeal tumors. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, smoking, drainage tube placement, and Ca2 + levels were the risk factors for viscous postoperative sputum in patients with malignant laryngeal tumors. According to the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, the area under the ROC curve was 0.914 (95% CI: 0.749–0.991), sensitivity was 0.90, and specificity was 0.938. Furthermore, based on the 50-fold cross-validation method, the accuracy of the verification model was 0.838, and the accuracy rate was 0.891. These results suggest that the model has a relatively stable fitting effect and a high predictive value. Conclusion Patients with malignant laryngeal tumors have a viscous sputum. This condition has a high incidence, and the model developed in this study could predict patients early and efficiently. The present study provides a scientific basis to effectively prevent the occurrence of viscous sputum postoperation.