Delirium in the fast-track surgery setting

Lene Krenk, Lars S Rasmussen, Henrik Kehlet

    14 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Postoperative delirium (PD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are two separate syndromes of cognitive decline after major surgery, especially in the elderly. Pathogenesis is multifactorial with some common risk factors, and to reduce the risk, a multimodal approach is necessary. The fast-track methodology is becoming a well-established perioperative care regime with possible preventive effects for postoperative cognitive decline, including reduced pain and use of opioids, and early mobilisation with early discharge (≤3 days) to preoperative environment after total hip/knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). The fast-track set-up seems to be associated with a lower frequency of PD and early POCD after THA/TKA. Thus, in a series of 225 patients ≥60 years, no cases of PD were seen and the incidence of POCD was reduced by more than 50% at 1 week postoperatively compared to previous studies. In conclusion, the fast-track methodology may reduce the incidence of postoperative cognitive decline after surgery.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalBest Practice & Research: Clinical Anaesthesiology
    Volume26
    Issue number3
    Pages (from-to)345-53
    Number of pages9
    ISSN1753-3740
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2012

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