Postoperative Delirium in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review

We systematically reviewed the English-language literature to assess the incidence, risk factors and prevention strategies for postoperative delirium following total joint arthroplasty (TJA). A total of 10 studies were included in the final review, of which 3 (30%) were Level I studies, 6 were Level II (60%) studies and 1 (10%) was a Level III study. Incidence of postoperative delirium ranged from 5% to 14.3%. Pre-screening of patients was shown to reduce its incidence. Independent predictors include age, history of psychiatric illness, decreased functional status and decreased verbal memory.