How to prevent perioperative delirium in the elderly?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Perioperative Medicine
• Surgical Nursing

Background:

• Increasing life expectancy leads to a rise in elderly patients requiring surgery.
• Delirium is a common, serious complication in perioperative settings, particularly in older adults.
• Cognitive impairment is a key risk factor for delirium but often goes undetected in routine care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a strategy for preventing delirium in elderly surgical patients at a general hospital without a dedicated geriatric department.
• To assess the effectiveness of integrating geriatric nursing support into the perioperative care pathway.

Main Methods:

• Geriatric nurses were integrated into the perioperative team to provide continuous support to patients and their proxies.
• Emphasis was placed on interprofessional collaboration throughout the patient's hospitalization.
• A non-geriatric specialty hospital setting was utilized for the intervention.

Main Results:

• The intervention resulted in a low incidence of delirium among elderly surgical patients.
• The strategy demonstrated effectiveness in preventing postoperative delirium in this general hospital setting.
• Geriatric nurses became integral to the perioperative team, reducing the perceived threat of delirium.

Conclusions:

• Integrating geriatric nurses into perioperative care is an effective strategy for delirium prevention in general hospitals.
• This collaborative approach improves patient outcomes and reduces the burden of delirium in elderly surgical populations.
• The findings highlight the essential role of geriatric nursing expertise in optimizing surgical care for older adults.