Which statement about atelectasis after abdominal surgery is accurate?

• A. It is a rare complication occurring weeks after surgery
• B. It Occurs within 12-24 Hours and is the Most Common Pulmonary Complication
• C. It Is Caused by Infection
• D. It Presents with Purulent Sputum

Answer: (B)

Atelectasis after abdominal surgery is an early and common issue caused by shallow breathing and splinting from postoperative pain, which allows mucus to accumulate and alveoli to collapse, especially at the bases. It typically develops within the first 12 to 24 hours after surgery and is the most frequent pulmonary complication seen in the postoperative period. It is not primarily due to infection, so purulent sputum would point away from this diagnosis and toward an infectious process such as pneumonia. Clinically, you may hear decreased breath sounds at the bases and sometimes mild hypoxemia, with imaging showing bibasilar subsegmental atelectasis. Prevention and management focus on improving ventilation: effective analgesia to enable deep breaths, incentive spirometry, deliberate deep coughing, early ambulation, and chest physiotherapy if needed.