Incidence and Risk Factors of Postoperative Recovery Room Delirium in Elderly Patients after Surgery under General Anesthesia

Abstract

Purpose: This study is a prospective observational study that analyzes the factors affecting and the incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients under general anesthesia. Methods: The study enrolled 193 elderly patients who entered the recovery room after surgery under general anesthesia in a certified tertiary hospital. Data were measured twice-first, before surgery and, second, 30 minutes after the patient entered the recovery room-using the Korean Nursing Delirium Screening Scale. The data were analyzed using x2 tests, the independent t-test, and logistic regression from SPSS 22.0. Results: The incidence of delirium in elderly patients after surgery under general anesthesia was 13.0% (25 of 193 patients). The incidence of delirium was a significant in the following cases: elderly patient, patients who performed physical activity with assistance at pre-operation, those with lower body mass index, those with lower body weight, those with long operative times, and those with high preoperative pain scores. The occurrence of delirium was 16.57 times higher in the presence of comorbidities, 5.74 times higher when hospitalization occurred through the emergency room, and 3.99 times higher when the number of catheters was high. Conclusion: Screening for early delirium in the recovery room is important, and it can provide basic data for early nursing intervention in patients suffering from postoperative delirium.