Introduction: Post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) delirium affects 5%-45% of patients after surgery and is associated with postoperative delirium and increased mortality. Up to 40% of PACU delirium is preventable, but it remains under-recognised due to a lack of awareness of its diagnosis. The nursing delirium screening scale (Nu-DESC) has been validated for diagnosing PACU delirium, but is not routinely used locally. This study aimed to use Nu-DESC to establish the incidence and risk factors of PACU delirium in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in the surgical population.
Methods: We conducted an audit of eligible patients undergoing major surgery in three public hospitals in Singapore over 1 week. Patients were assessed for delirium 30-60 min following their arrival in PACU using Nu-DESC, with a total score of ≥2 indicative of delirium.
Results: A total of 478 patients were assessed. The overall incidence rate of PACU delirium was 18/478 (3.8%), and the incidence was 9/146 (6.2%) in patients aged > 65 years. Post-anaesthesia care unit delirium was more common in females, patients with malignancy and those who underwent longer operations. Logistic regression analysis showed that the use of bispectral index (P < 0.001) and the presence of malignancy (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with a higher incidence of PACU delirium.
Conclusion: In this first local study, the incidence of PACU delirium was 3.8%, increasing to 6.2% in those aged > 65 years. Understanding these risk factors will form the basis for which protocols can be established to optimise resource management and prevent long-term morbidities and mortality in PACU delirium.
Keywords: Geriatrics; major non-cardiac surgery; postoperative delirium.