Perioperative respiratory infections：Common causes and treatment principles        LI Yi-min, XI Yin. Department of Critical Care Medicine，the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University，Institute of Guangzhou Respiratory Disease，Guangzhou 510120，China
Corresponding author: LI Yi-min, E-mail: dryiminli@vip.163.com
Abstract    Perioperative respiratory infections are common complications in Department of General Surgery，which can increase mortality，prolong hospital stay. Postoperative patients are prone to pneumonia because of decreased pulmonary defense mechanisms，reduced lung function and dysfunction of diaphragm. Preoperative lung expansion technique，postoperative respiratory rehabilitation，analgesia，aspiration preventing can prevent from perioperative respiratory infection. Antibiotics are the most effective medicine for the treatment of respiratory infections. Initial empirical antimicrobial therapy must be application as early as possible according to the local bacterium spectrum and the patients’ underlying diseases. The antibiotics need to be adjusted according to outcomes of bacterial culture and drug-sensitivity test，named goal-directed treatment. The management of primary disease is a key factor in successful treatment.