The incidence and risk factors of postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture operation

Objective To explore the incidence and risk factors of postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture operation.Methods One hundred and twenty patients undergoing elective hip fracture operation were recruited in this study from September 2009 to February 2010.Each patients was interviewed at the day before operation.The same interviewer evaluated the patients with the confusion assessment method(CAM)during the first three postoperative days.Other information including previous medical history,duration of operations,volume of blood loss,volume of blood transfusion,postoperative pain and so on,were also recorded.120 patients were divided into two groups,delirium group and control group.Statistic analysis was conducted by using SPSS software version 13.0.Results Delirium occurred in 28 patients at certain time-points during the first three postoperative days.The incidence of delirium is 23.33%.The Logistic stepwise regression analysis indicated that the risk factors of delirium included old age,cor pulmonale,pulmonary infections,general anaesthesia and hypoxemia.Conclusion The undependent risk factors to postoperative delirium included old age,cor pulmonale,pulmonary infections,general anesthesia and hypoxemia.