Trajectory of Functional Recovery After Postoperative Delirium in Elective Surgery

TL;DR

This study finds that delirium after surgery in older adults leads to slower and less complete recovery of daily functioning for up to 18 months.

Contribution

The study provides new evidence that postoperative delirium is linked to long-term functional impairments in older surgical patients.

Findings

Patients with delirium had a 1.5-point lower physical function score at 1 month compared to those without delirium.

The functional gap widened to 1.8 points by 18 months, reaching a clinically significant level.

Delirium was associated with persistent functional deficits, suggesting a need for preventive interventions.

Abstract

Describe functional recovery after elective surgery and to determine whether improvements differ among individuals who develop delirium.

Limited studies of older adults have investigated whether delirium influences the trajectory of functional recovery after elective surgery.

Patients age ≥70 undergoing major elective surgery were assessed daily while in hospital for presence and severity of delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method, and their functional recovery was followed for 18 months thereafter (N = 566). The Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scales and the Physical Component Summary of the Short Form-12 were obtained before surgery and at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 18 months. A composite index (standard deviation 10, minimally clinically significant difference 2) derived from these scales was then analyzed using mixed-effects regression.

Mean age was 77 years; 58% of participants were women and 24% developed postoperative delirium. Participants with delirium demonstrated lesser functional recovery than their counterparts without delirium; at 1 month, the covariate-adjusted mean difference on the physical function composite was -1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] -3.3, -0.2). From 2 to 18 months, the corresponding difference was -1.8 (95% CI -3.2, -0.3), an effect comparable with the minimally clinically significant difference.

Delirium was associated with persistent and clinically meaningful impairment of functional recovery, to 18 months. Use of multifactorial preventive interventions for patients at high risk for delirium and tailored transitional care planning may help to maximize the functional benefits of elective surgery.