ERAS-guided refined nursing associated with earlier mobilization after lung cancer surgery in retrospective cohort

This retrospective cohort study evaluated the effect of ERAS-guided refined nursing on early mobilization in 136 patients who underwent radical lung cancer surgery. The intervention group received ERAS-based nursing, while the comparator group received conventional nursing. The primary outcome focused on early mobilization parameters including time to first ambulation, ambulation distance at 24 and 48 hours, Timed Up and Go test, and Barthel Index.

Patients in the ERAS group demonstrated significantly earlier ambulation, higher early walking distances, better functional exercise capacity, and higher Barthel Index scores than those in the conventional group, with all differences reported as statistically significant (P < 0.05). Secondary outcomes including recovery parameters, complications, nursing compliance, and patient satisfaction also favored the ERAS group. However, specific effect sizes, absolute numbers, and confidence intervals were not reported.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported in the available evidence. Key limitations include the retrospective observational design without randomization, which prevents causal inference. The absence of reported effect magnitudes and absolute numbers limits clinical interpretation. Practice relevance should be considered cautiously as this represents observational evidence from a single cohort without details on setting or follow-up duration.