Adelaars S, et al.
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinane.2025.111896
This prospective cohort study evaluated 50 elderly patients undergoing aortic valve replacement to compare delirium detection using clinical observation, the Delirium Observation Screening (DOS) scale, and single-lead EEG (sl-EEG). Delirium incidence varied significantly by method: 32% by clinical assessment, 28% by DOS, and 76% by sl-EEG. While clinical assessment and DOS were 80% concordant, sl-EEG detected significantly more cases (p < 0.001), suggesting greater sensitivity but also a possible higher false-positive rate. Delirium incidence decreased across all modalities over seven postoperative days. The findings support using a multimodal approach to improve the accuracy of postoperative delirium diagnosis, particularly for detecting hypoactive forms often missed by conventional screening.
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We thank the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia for allowing us to share this valuable study. Their dedication to publishing innovative, clinically relevant research plays an essential role in advancing the field of anesthesiology and perioperative care.