[Postoperative delirium after general anesthesia vs. spinal anesthesia in geriatric patients].
BACKGROUND
Influence of the type of anesthesia on postoperative delirium was examined in geriatric patients with femoral neck fracture.


METHODS
Forty patients aged 70 or more were randomly allocated to receive either general anesthesia (sevoflurane, nitrous oxide in oxygen, G group, n = 21) or spinal anesthesia (0.5% bupivacaine, S group, n = 19). G group received the oxygen therapy during the 12-hour postoperative period. Postoperative assessments included the rate of postoperative delirium during the 4-day postoperative period, oxygen saturation during the 18-hour postoperative period, the value of hemoglobin at 1 postoperative day and the number of analgesics requirements during the 4-day postoperative period.


RESULTS
The rate of postoperative delirium was similar between the two groups during the 4-day postoperative period. However, that of S group tended to be higher during the 1-day postoperative period. Postoperative analgesic effect and the value of hemoglobin at 1 postoperative day were similar between the two groups. Oxygen saturation was similar between the two groups except 6 hours after the operation.


CONCLUSIONS
The type of anesthesia, general or spinal, does not affect the postoperative delirium in geriatric patients with femoral neck fracture.
Kamitani
Kazuo
K
Department of Anesthesia, Toyama Prefectual Central Hospital, Toyama 930-8550.
Higuchi
Akiko
A
Asahi
Takehisa
T
Yoshida
Hitoshi
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies