Frail Older Adults Face Increased Risk of Delirium After Surgery

A research review published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine analyzed data from 41 studies with a total of 9,384 participants age 60 or older who had elective surgery, and while about one in six experienced post-surgical symptoms of delirium, frail individuals were about four times more likely to develop delirium than others, reports Reuters . About 19 percent of participants experienced delirium after surgery, with rates highest following cardiac and general surgeries and among persons older than 80. "When the body of an older adult is confronted with a major stressor, such as surgery, it may struggle to both heal from the acute stressor and to continue managing all of the other medical illnesses," says Jennifer Watt at the University of Toronto. "When the body can no longer manage all of the competing conditions, individuals may develop symptoms relating to these underlying medical illnesses such as ... delirium." Variables such as smoking, dementia, and the use of psychiatric medications also were associated with a higher risk of delirium after surgery. People who were comforted by regular visits from a spouse, friend, or caregiver were 31 percent less likely to experience delirium after surgery than those who did not receive this type of support. People experiencing post-surgical delirium also were more likely to die, have serious postoperative complications, require longer hospitalization, and be sent to institutional care communities.