Delirium in older adults after percutaneous coronary intervention: Prevalence, risks, and clinical phenotypes

In-hospital delirium is more common among older adults and is associated with increased mortality and adverse health-related outcomes. We aim to establish the contemporary prevalence of delirium among older adults undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the impact of delirium on in-hospital complications.

We identified older adults aged ≥75 years in the National Inpatient Sample who underwent inpatient PCI for any reason from 2016 to 2020 and stratified them into those with and without delirium. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes encompassed post-procedural complications.

Delirium occurred in 14,130 (2.6 %) hospitalizations in which PCI was performed. Patients who developed delirium were older and had more comorbidities. Patients with in-hospital delirium had higher odds of in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.27, p = 0.002) and non-home discharge (aOR 3.17, p < 0.001). Delirium was also associated with higher odds of intracranial hemorrhage (aOR 2.49, p < 0.001), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (aOR 1.25, p = 0.030), need for blood transfusion (aOR 1.52, p < 0.001), acute kidney injury (aOR 1.62, p < 0.001), and fall in hospital (aOR 1.97, p < 0.001).

Delirium among older adults undergoing PCI is relatively common and associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality and adverse events. This highlights the importance of vigilant delirium prevention and early recognition in the peri-procedural setting, especially for older adults.