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Background: Subsyndromal delirium following surgery in older adults is related to increased lengths of hospital stay and increased admissions to long-term care. Impaired nutrition increases risk for delirium, but its relationship to subsyndromal delirium remains unclear., Purpose: This correlational study examined the relationship between nutritional status and subsyndromal delirium in older adults., Methods: Assessments for subsyndromal delirium in 53 adults 65 years or older were completed for three consecutive days following joint replacement surgery. Relationships between nutritional status and subsyndromal delirium were analyzed. Level of significance for all tests was set at p ≤ .05., Results: Participants' scores from the Mini Nutritional Assessment screen were significantly related (p = .05) to subsyndromal delirium severity after accounting for variability posed by age and cognition status., Conclusion: When preoperative risk assessment of older adults indicates nutritional risk, preoperative optimization may improve effectiveness of delirium prevention efforts.

Background: Older adults with subsyndromal delirium have similar risks for adverse outcomes following joint replacement surgery as those who suffer from delirium., Purpose: This study examined relationships among subsyndromal delirium and select preoperative risk factors in older adults following major orthopaedic surgery., Methods: Delirium assessments of a sample of 62 adults 65 years of age or older were completed on postoperative Days 1, 2, and 3 following joint replacement surgery. Data were analyzed for relationships among delirium symptoms and the following preoperative risk factors: increased comorbidity burden, cognitive impairment, fall history, and preoperative fasting time., Results: Postoperative subsyndromal delirium occurred in 68% of study participants. A recent fall history and a longer preoperative fasting time were associated with delirium symptoms (p ≤ .05)., Conclusions: Older adults with a recent history of falls within the past 6 months or a longer duration of preoperative fasting time may be at higher risk for delirium symptoms following joint replacement surgery.