CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY PATIENTS

Koster et al.¹² recorded 6-month mortality and hospital readmission rates in 300 cardiac surgery patients.  Patients were screened daily in the hospital for delirium.  Patients who suffered delirium during their hospitalization had higher mortality at 6 months (OR=5.1 after correction for age, P=0.011) and were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital (OR=2.16 after correction for age, P=0.028).

Magusan et al.¹⁴ retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 656 cardiac surgery patients who had been screened postoperatively for delirium.  Investigators evaluated the influence of postoperative delirium on patient outcome.  After adjusting for patient, procedure, and treatment factors, patients with delirium were 4.31 times more likely to be discharged to a nursing facility, 3.35 times more likely to utilize physical therapy, 2.64 times more likely to required home health services and stayed 1.38 times longer in the hospital.