Author: Adelaars S et al.
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia 106: 111896. doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2025.111896
This prospective cohort study compared postoperative delirium (POD) detection after aortic valve replacement using clinical observation, the Delirium Observation Screening (DOS) scale, and single-lead EEG (sl-EEG) monitoring. Fifty patients aged 65 and older were assessed preoperatively and on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7.
Delirium incidence varied by method—32% by clinical assessment, 28% by DOS, and 76% by sl-EEG. Clinical assessment and DOS demonstrated 80% concordance, whereas sl-EEG detected significantly more cases (p < 0.001). Incidence declined across all methods over the first postoperative week. The authors note sl-EEG’s high sensitivity may increase false positives, while clinical and DOS assessments risk underdiagnosing hypoactive delirium.
The study concludes that combining multiple diagnostic approaches may improve POD detection accuracy and ensure more comprehensive identification of delirium subtypes.
References
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Adelaars S, te Pas ME, Jansen SWM, et al. J Clin Anesth. 2025;106:111896. doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2025.111896.
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