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Perioperative Management of Delirium in Geriatric Patients

  • Geriatric Anesthesia (S Akhtar, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

We review the current literature on predictors, pathophysiology, and prevention of delirium in surgical patients. The focus is on the role of the anesthesiologist in the prevention and management of delirium in the perioperative setting.

Recent Findings

Recent literature has examined how surgery and anesthetic management can affect the incidence of delirium. Anesthesiologists play a critical role in identifying those at risk of developing delirium and adjusting their anesthetic management and perioperative course to minimize this risk.

Summary

Delirium research is evolving rapidly. Current evidence suggests that environmental interventions, pre-operative optimization, and choice of anesthetic plan, such as the use of regional anesthesia and specific medications, can reduce the incidence of delirium in surgical patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 356540, Seattle, WA, 98195-6540, USA

    Elisabeth Beck Powelson & Itay Bentov

  2. Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA

    May J. Reed

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  1. Elisabeth Beck Powelson
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  2. May J. Reed
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  3. Itay Bentov
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Correspondence to Elisabeth Beck Powelson.

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Elisabeth Beck Powelson, May J. Reed, and Itay Bentov declare they have no conflict of interest.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Geriatric Anesthesia

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Powelson, E.B., Reed, M.J. & Bentov, I. Perioperative Management of Delirium in Geriatric Patients. Curr Anesthesiol Rep 9, 395–405 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-019-00353-w

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