title: Acute postoperative delirium: definitions, incidence, recognition, and interventions.
abstract: Emergence excitement or delirium is a common postanesthesia complication. Often, the emergence excitement resolves quickly, and the patient's continued recovery is uneventful. Although the initial period of excitement may be short lived and resolve without long-term sequela, some patients may experience acute postoperative delirium, a phenomenon that is more difficult to assess and of potentially longer duration. Although patients are spending less time in the hospital after surgical procedures, concern over the potential development of acute postoperative delirium remains. Patients at risk present in ambulatory surgery centers and inpatient perianesthesia settings daily. Identification of at-risk patients is crucial to avoiding the development of delirium in the acute postanesthesia care setting. The purpose of this selective review is to define acute postoperative delirium and its incidence, discuss assessment and recognition, describe interventions, and identify future considerations related to this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. dedeo@umich.edu
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Brien
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D016528:Postanesthesia Nursing / Q000379:methods*