Risk factors for delirium after surgery for craniocerebral injury in the neurosurgical intensive care unit

Postoperative delirium is common in patients who undergo neurosurgery for craniocerebral injury. However, there is no specific medical test to predict postoperative delirium to date.

To explore risk factors for postoperative delirium in patients with craniocerebral injury in the neurosurgery intensive care unit (ICU).

A retrospective analysis was performed in 120 patients with craniocerebral injury admitted to Hainan People's Hospital/Hainan Hospital Affiliated to Hainan Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University between January 2018 and January 2020. The patients were categorized into groups based on whether delirium occurred. Of them, 25 patients with delirium were included in the delirium group, and 95 patients without delirium were included in the observation group. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between sex, age, educational level, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), complications (with or without concussion, cerebral contusion, hypoxemia and ventricular compression) and site of injury and delirium.

The GCS score above 8 and concomitant disease of cerebral concussion, cerebral contusion, hypoxemia and ventricular compression, and damage to the frontal lobe were associated with delirium in patients admitted to neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU) (all P < 0.05). However, age, sex, administration more than three medicines, and educational level were not significantly associated with the onset of delirium in patients with craniocerebral injury in the neurosurgical ICU (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that GCS score above 8, cerebral concussion, cerebral contusion, hypoxemia, ventricle compression, and frontal lobe disorders were independent risk factors for delirium in patients with craniocerebral injury in the neurosurgical ICU (P < 0.05).

GCS score, concussive concussion, cerebral contusion, hypoxemia, ventricle compression, and damage to frontal lobe are risk factors of postoperative delirium.