Postoperative delirium assessed by post anesthesia care unit staff utilizing the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale: a prospective observational study of 1000 patients in a single Swiss institution.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Delirium has become better studied, but is still only partially understood and significantly underestimated. There are some well-known risk factors, but little is known about the incidence of delirium in the diverse patient population of a post anesthesia care unit (PACU). The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of delirium using the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale (NU-DESC).

METHODS:

1000 consecutive patients in the PACU were prospectively evaluated at the point when being ready to be transferred to the normal ward by the registered nurses of the PACU.

RESULTS:

The data of 1,000 patients was recorded. 242 of the patients (24.2%) were preoperatively classified as ASA I physical status, 664 patients (66.4%) as ASA II. A total of 43 patients (4.3%) presented with a delirium at the time point where they would have been transferred to the normal ward (138.4 ± 55.2 min after arrival in the PACU). 287 patients (28.7%) of the entire group were over the age of 70 years. Considering only this subgroup, delirium was diagnosed in 30 individuals (10.5%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Delirium screening with the NU-DESC, collected by nursing staff of a PACU is easily feasible and demonstrated a low incidence of delirium in the presented setting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:

German Clinical Trials Register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien, www.drks.de ; DRKS 000005426 ; date of registration 4th December 2013).

• Authors: A Winter, M P Steurer, Alexander Dullenkopf
• Journal: BMC anesthesiology (BMC Anesthesiol) Vol. 15 Pg. 184 (Dec 18 2015) ISSN: 1471-2253 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 26680779 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Anesthesia (adverse effects)
• Anesthesia Recovery Period
• Delirium (chemically induced, diagnosis, nursing)
• Feasibility Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Incidence
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nursing Staff, Hospital
• Postoperative Complications (chemically induced, diagnosis, nursing)
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Switzerland