title: Trajectory of Functional Recovery After Postoperative Delirium in Elective Surgery.
abstract: To describe functional recovery after elective surgery and to determine whether improvements differ among individuals who develop delirium.
  
  
  
  No large studies of older adults have investigated whether delirium influences the trajectory of functional recovery after elective surgery. The prospective observational study assessed this association among 566 individuals aged 70 years and older.
  
  
  
  Patients undergoing major elective surgery were assessed daily while in hospital for presence and severity of delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method, and their functional recovery was followed for 18 months thereafter. The Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scales and the Physical Component Summary of the Short Form-12 were obtained before surgery and at 1, 2, 6, 12, and 18 months. A composite index (standard deviation 10, minimally clinically significant difference 2) derived from these scales was then analyzed using mixed-effects regression.
  
  
  
  Mean age was 77 years; 58% of participants were women and 24% developed postoperative delirium. Participants with delirium demonstrated lesser functional recovery than their counterparts without delirium; at 1 month, the covariate-adjusted mean difference on the physical function composite was -1.5 (95% confidence interval -3.3, -0.2). From 2 to 18 months, the corresponding difference was -1.8 (95% confidence interval -3.2, -0.3), an effect comparable with the minimally clinically significant difference.
  
  
  
  Delirium was associated with persistent and clinically meaningful impairment of functional recovery, to 18 months. Use of multifactorial preventive interventions for patients at high risk for delirium and tailored transitional care planning may help to maximize the functional benefits of elective surgery.
authors: *Division of Aging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA †Aging Brain Center, Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA ‡Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA §Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA ¶Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA ||Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Department of Neurology, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI **Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA ††Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA.
authors: Tammy T
authors: TT
authors: Hshieh
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Saczynski
authors: Ray Yun
authors: RY
authors: Gou
authors: Edward
authors: E
authors: Marcantonio
authors: Richard N
authors: RN
authors: Jones
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Schmitt
authors: Zara
authors: Z
authors: Cooper
authors: Douglas
authors: D
authors: Ayres
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Wright
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: Travison
authors: Sharon K
authors: SK
authors: Inouye
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003693:Delirium / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome