Search

Background: Few reviews have addressed delirium prevention among intermediate to high‐risk older surgical patients. Aims: To map preoperative delirium prevention interventions for older surgical patients at intermediate to high risk of developing delirium, assess outcomes and identify gaps in knowledge. Design: Systematic narrative review of randomised controlled trials reported following the PRISMA checklist. Methods: A systematic search was conducted of the literature published from 1990 to October 2022 in Medline, CINAHL and Ageline and of the grey literature in Google Scholar. Randomised controlled trials were retrieved that assessed the effectiveness of preoperative delirium prevention interventions for older surgical patients at intermediate to high risk of delirium. Data were extracted using a data extraction tool, and results were tabulated. Studies were assessed for bias using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool. Results: Twenty‐one studies met the selection criteria including N = 5096 participants. Two studies tested cognitive training, two studies tested fascia iliaca compartment block and one study assessed femoral nerve block. Ten studies tested prophylactic medications including methylprednisolone. Five studies investigated geriatric assessment and management. One study assessed transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation. In the two studies testing fascia iliaca compartment block, there was a reduction in postoperative delirium for orthopaedic patients. Methylprednisolone reduced postoperative delirium in orthopaedic patients and in those undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. Results of all other interventions on the occurrence of postoperative delirium and additional outcomes including the severity and duration of delirium were inconclusive. Conclusions: Despite the promising results for fascia iliaca compartment block and methylprednisolone, there is limited knowledge regarding evidence‐based delirium prevention interventions. Most studies had small sample sizes indicating that the current evidence is exploratory. There is an urgent need for the funding and conduct of trials to test preventative interventions for older surgical patients at intermediate to high risk of developing delirium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundRemimazolam is a new ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine for procedural sedation and general anaesthesia, characterised by rapid onset of action, quick recovery, and organ-independent metabolism. Older patients tend to sustain more treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and worse perioperative prognoses after receiving remimazolam. However, few studies have investigated the appropriate dose of remimazolam for loss of consciousness (LOC) in geriatric patients. We designed this study to provide evidence for dose references and elucidate the relationship between age and remimazolam requirement for inducing LOC during anaesthesia induction.MethodsExactly 120 patients scheduled for general surgery under general anaesthesia were included and divided into two groups: Group A (60 patients, 18–64 years) and Group B (60 patients, ≥ 65 years). LOC, defined as a Modified Observer’s Assessment of Alertness and Sedation score at 1 had been reached, emerged after all participants received a continuous infusion of remimazolam at a rate of 0.05 mg/kg/min.ResultsThe remimazolam required for inducing LOC was 0.26 and 0.19 mg/kg in groups A and B, respectively, and the remimazolam dose in group B decreased by 26.9% compared to group A. According to the bivariate linear correlation analysis, remimazolam requirement was negatively correlated with age. Multivariable linear regression models and further adjustments for potential impact factors indicated that age was an independent factor for the remimazolam dose required for LOC.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that age was significantly and independently correlated with the remimazolam requirement for inducing LOC. To obtain haemodynamic stability during the induction of general anaesthesia, appropriately reducing the remimazolam dose is recommended for geriatric patients.

Aims: To assess the association of postoperative delirium developed in the post‐anaesthetic care unit (PACU) with older patients' ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) during the first five postoperative days. Background: Previous studies have focused on the association between postoperative delirium and long‐term function decline, however the association between postoperative delirium and the ability to perform ADL, particularly in the immediate postoperative period, needs further investigation. Design: A prospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 271 older patients who underwent elective or emergency surgery at a tertiary care hospital in Victoria, Australia, participated in the study. Data were collected between July 2021 and December 2021. Delirium was assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM‐5). The Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (KATZ ADL) scale was used to measure ADL. ADL was assessed preoperatively and daily during the first five postoperative days. The STROBE checklist was used to report this study. Results: Results showed that 44 (16.2%) patients developed new episode of delirium. Postoperative delirium was independently associated with decline in ADL (RR = 2.83, 95% CI = 2.71–2.97; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Postoperative delirium was associated with a decline in ADL among older people during the first five postoperative days. Screening for delirium in the PACU is essential to identify delirium during the early stages of postoperative period and implement a timely comprehensive plan. Relevance to clinical practice: Delirium assessment of older patients in the PACU, and for at least the first five postoperative days, is strongly recommended. We also recommend engagement of patients in a focused physical and cognitive daily activity plan, particularly for older patients undergoing major surgery. Patient or public contribution: Patients and nurses helped in data collection at a tertiary care hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background increasing numbers of older people are undergoing vascular surgery. Preoperative comprehensive geriatric assessment and optimisation (CGA) reduces postoperative complications and length of hospital stay. Establishing CGA-based perioperative services requires health economic evaluation prior to implementation. Through a modelling-based economic evaluation, using data from a single site clinical trial, this study evaluates whether CGA is a cost-effective alternative to standard preoperative assessment for older patients undergoing elective arterial surgery. Methods an economic evaluation, using decision-analytic modelling, comparing preoperative CGA and optimisation with standard preoperative care, was undertaken in older patients undergoing elective arterial surgery. The incremental net health benefit of CGA, expressed in terms of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), was used to evaluate cost-effectiveness. Results CGA is a cost-effective substitute for standard preoperative care in elective arterial surgery across a range of cost-effectiveness threshold values. An incremental net benefit of 0.58 QALYs at a cost-effectiveness threshold of £30k, 0.60 QALYs at a threshold of £20k and 0.63 QALYs at a threshold of £13k was observed. Mean total pre- and postoperative health care utilisation costs were estimated to be £1,165 lower for CGA patients largely accounted for by reduced postoperative bed day utilisation. Conclusion this study demonstrates a likely health economic benefit in addition to the previously described clinical benefit of employing CGA methodology in the preoperative setting in older patients undergoing arterial surgery. Further evaluation should examine whether CGA-based perioperative services can be effectively implemented and achieve the same clinical and health economic outcomes at scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Remimazolam is a new ultra-short-acting benzodiazepine for procedural sedation and general anaesthesia, characterised by rapid onset of action, quick recovery, and organ-independent metabolism. Older patients tend to sustain more treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and worse perioperative prognoses after receiving remimazolam. However, few studies have investigated the appropriate dose of remimazolam for loss of consciousness (LOC) in geriatric patients. We designed this study to provide evidence for dose references and elucidate the relationship between age and remimazolam requirement for inducing LOC during anaesthesia induction., Methods: Exactly 120 patients scheduled for general surgery under general anaesthesia were included and divided into two groups: Group A (60 patients, 18-64 years) and Group B (60 patients, ≥ 65 years). LOC, defined as a Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation score at 1 had been reached, emerged after all participants received a continuous infusion of remimazolam at a rate of 0.05 mg/kg/min., Results: The remimazolam required for inducing LOC was 0.26 and 0.19 mg/kg in groups A and B, respectively, and the remimazolam dose in group B decreased by 26.9% compared to group A. According to the bivariate linear correlation analysis, remimazolam requirement was negatively correlated with age. Multivariable linear regression models and further adjustments for potential impact factors indicated that age was an independent factor for the remimazolam dose required for LOC., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that age was significantly and independently correlated with the remimazolam requirement for inducing LOC. To obtain haemodynamic stability during the induction of general anaesthesia, appropriately reducing the remimazolam dose is recommended for geriatric patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Song, Wang, Fu, Chen, Tang, Deng, Yang and Liu.)

The frailty syndrome is defi ned as a decrease in physiological reserve across multiple organ systems leading to increased vulnerability to external stressors. Studies across surgical subspecialties and in emergency and elective settings have identi- fi ed frailty as an independent predictor of adverse postoperative clinician-reported, patient-reported and process-related outcomes. Although frailty is not specifi c to the older population, it is associated with ageing and therefore is increasingly observed in the ageing surgical population. Identifying frailty early in the perioperative pathway affords the opportunity to assess risk, modify the syndrome, inform shared decision making and plan the surgical pathway. Multiple tools to screen and diagnose frailty exist with limited appraisal of clinometric properties. A pragmatic approach to these tools is advocated with a future focus on collaborative approaches to modify the syndrome using multicomponent methodology such as comprehensive geriatric assessment and adapt the pathway to the needs of the frail surgical patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The determinants of cognitive impairment and delirium during acute illness are poorly understood, despite being common among older people. Anemia is common in older people, and there is ongoing debate regarding the association between anemia, cognitive impairment and delirium, primarily in non‐surgical patients. Methods: Using data from the Older Persons Surgical Outcomes Collaboration 2013 and 2014 audit cycles, we examined the association between anemia and cognitive outcomes in patients aged ≥65 years admitted to five UK acute surgical units. On admission, the Confusion Assessment Method was carried out to detect delirium. Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and two levels of impairment were defined as Montreal Cognitive Assessment <26 and <20. Logistic regression models were constructed to examine these associations in all participants, and individuals aged ≥75 years only. Results: A total of 653 patients, with a median age of 76.5 years (interquartile range 73.0–80.0 years) and 53% women, were included. Statistically significant associations were found between anemia and age; polypharmacy; hyperglycemia; and hypoalbuminemia. There was no association between anemia and cognitive impairment or delirium. The adjusted odds ratios of cognitive impairment were 0.95 (95% CI 0.56–1.61) and 1.00 (95% CI 0.61–1.64) for the Montreal Cognitive Assessment <26 and <20, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio of delirium was 1.00 (95% CI 0.48–2.10) in patients with anemia compared with those without. Similar results were observed for the ≥75 years age group. Conclusions: There was no association between anemia and cognitive outcomes among older people in this acute surgical setting. Considering the retrospective nature of the study and possible lack of power, findings should be taken with caution. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1025–1030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With an ageing population, an increasing number of older adults are admitted for assessment to acute surgical units. Older adults have specific factors that may influence outcomes, one of which is delirium (acute cognitive impairment). Objectives: To establish the prevalence of delirium on admission in an older acute surgical population and its effect on mortality. Secondary outcomes investigated include hospital readmission and length of hospital stay. Method: This observational multi-centre study investigated consecutive patients, ≥65 years, admitted to the acute surgical units of five UK hospitals during an eight-week period. On admission the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) score was performed to detect delirium. The effect of delirium on important clinical outcomes was investigated using tests of association and logistic regression models. Results: The cohort consisted of 411 patients with a mean age of 77.3 years (SD 8.1). The prevalence of admission delirium was 8.8% (95% CI 6.2−11.9%) and cognitive impairment was 70.3% (95% CI 65.6−74.7%). The delirious group were not more likely to die at 30 or 90 days (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.2 to 5.1, p = 0.67; OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.4 to 4.1. p = 0.82) or to be readmitted within 30 days of discharge (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.4 to 2.2, p = 0.89). Length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the delirious group (median 8 vs. 5 days respectively, p = 0.009). Conclusion: Admission delirium occurs in just under 10% of older people admitted to acute surgical units, resulting in significantly longer hospital stays.

Postoperative delirium is a public health and research priority. The International Perioperative Neurotoxicity Working Group recommends baseline cognitive function be assessed for older patients prior to surgery and anesthesia. Perioperative cognitive screening tools trialed in anesthesia are not routinely incorporated into clinical practice related to validity, reliability, or practicality concerns. The ideal perioperative cognitive screening tool would be rapid; easily administrable; valid; reliable; automatically scored; void of language, cultural, and education bias; and cost-efficient. No such tool currently exists. We explored baseline and postoperative neurocognitive characteristics that may help to establish predictive and trend metrics for perioperative neurocognitive assessment in older surgical patients using a novel, Food and Drug Administration-cleared point-of-care electroencephalography device (WAViMed™, Boulder, CO). To our knowledge, our study is the first to assess the device as a perioperative neurocognitive assessment tool. Although an association between P300 auditory-evoked potentials and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores was not identified, further investigation is warranted given the magnitude of impact that such a device might have on patient outcomes and healthcare costs., Competing Interests: Name: L. Harold Barnwell, III, PhD, DNAP, CRNA Contribution: This author made significant contributions to the conception, synthesis, writing, and final editing and approval of the manuscript to justify inclusion as an author. Disclosures: This study was part of an ongoing perioperative brain health research project supported by the AANA Foundation’s Richard G. Oullette Research Fellowship and Nurse Anesthesiology Faculty Associates (NAFA)., (Copyright © by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.)

Abstract: We aimed to identify predictors of mortality and length of stay-in hospital in older surgical patients. In 294 patients (mean age 74.1±6.4 years, 153 men), consecutively admitted to four surgery units of a university-teaching hospital to receive elective surgery (ES, 56.5%) or urgent surgery (US, 43.5%), the following variables were evaluated: demographics, clinical history (hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), cerebrovascular accidents, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), active neoplasm, cognitive impairment, immobilization, pressure ulcers), physiopathology (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation, APACHE, II), cognition/function (Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire, SPMSQ; activity of daily living, ADL; instrumental activity of daily living, IADL), comorbidity (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, CIRS, 1 and 2) and anesthesiology (American Score Anesthesiologist, ASA). The vital status of the patient at 1 month after discharge and the duration of hospitalization were recorded. One-month mortality rate was 6.1%. Low hemoglobin and body mass index (BMI) values, increasing ASA score, and, only in US patients, ADL dependence and higher CIRS 1 score, were independently predictive of mortality. Low hemoglobin levels and, only in ES patients, higher CIRS 1 score were associated with prolonged hospitalization. Prognostic indicators specific to older people have limited value in mortality models in elderly surgical patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: With an ageing population, an increasing number of older adults are admitted for assessment to acute surgical units. Older adults have specific factors that may influence outcomes, one of which is delirium (acute cognitive impairment)., Objectives: To establish the prevalence of delirium on admission in an older acute surgical population and its effect on mortality. Secondary outcomes investigated include hospital readmission and length of hospital stay., Method: This observational multi-centre study investigated consecutive patients, ≥65 years, admitted to the acute surgical units of five UK hospitals during an eight-week period. On admission the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) score was performed to detect delirium. The effect of delirium on important clinical outcomes was investigated using tests of association and logistic regression models., Results: The cohort consisted of 411 patients with a mean age of 77.3 years (SD 8.1). The prevalence of admission delirium was 8.8% (95% CI 6.2-11.9%) and cognitive impairment was 70.3% (95% CI 65.6-74.7%). The delirious group were not more likely to die at 30 or 90 days (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.2 to 5.1, p = 0.67; OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.4 to 4.1. p = 0.82) or to be readmitted within 30 days of discharge (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.4 to 2.2, p = 0.89). Length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the delirious group (median 8 vs. 5 days respectively, p = 0.009)., Conclusion: Admission delirium occurs in just under 10% of older people admitted to acute surgical units, resulting in significantly longer hospital stays., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.