Contributed by Kelly Atkins, DPsych (Clin Neuro), Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne. Our Research Question Postoperative delirium is the most common adverse outcome affecting older adults after surgery and is associated with a cascade of negative outcomes1, 2. While research activity in the field of postoperative delirium has exploded, the subjective experience of postoperative […]
Contributed by Brian O’Gara MD MPH Department of Anesthesiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA Postoperative delirium occurs in 15-50% of older surgical patients, and increases the risk of postoperative complications, hospital mortality and long-term cognitive dysfunction.1 Hospital -based multicomponent interventions can prevent postoperative delirium, but these approaches are only 30-40% effective.2 Therefore, there is […]
Contributed by Heidi Lindroth, PhD RN, T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University School of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the terror of delirium to the forefront. Featured articles in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and others, have highlighted the enormous […]
Use of low-dose intraoperative ketamine does not lower levels of postoperative pain or reduce delirium in older adults undergoing surgery, according to a new study led by Michael Avidan, MBBCh, Professor of Anesthesiology and Surgery at Washington University St. Louis and NIDUS co-investigator. The findings from this multi-site randomized trial were published online on May 30 […]
Delirium¹ – a serious disturbance in mental abilities that results in confused thinking and reduced awareness of the environment – is a costly and common condition. Though delirium can affect anyone, it is most prevalent in the elderly, affecting up to 50% of hospitalized seniors. However, it is not yet known why some individuals develop […]