Postoperative delirium (POD) is an adverse but often preventable complication of surgery and surgery-related anaesthesia, and increasingly prevalent. This article provides an overview on non-pharmacological preventive measures, divided into individualized and non-individualized measures. Non-individualized measures, such as the most minimally invasive surgical procedure, avoidance of unnecessary fasting before surgery, and the most tolerable anaesthesia are used to minimize the risk of POD in all patients. Based on the results of preoperative screenings for risk factors such as frailty or cognitive impairment, individualized measures may encompass prehabilitation, treatment of specific risk factors, operation room companionship or cognitive, motor, and sensory stimulation as well as social support. This article additionally lists several examples of best practice approaches already implemented in German-speaking countries and websites for further readings.
Keyphrases
- minimally invasive
- risk factors
- social support
- coronary artery bypass
- end stage renal disease
- robot assisted
- cognitive impairment
- patients undergoing
- depressive symptoms
- chronic kidney disease
- healthcare
- newly diagnosed
- cardiac surgery
- primary care
- peritoneal dialysis
- surgical site infection
- emergency department
- coronary artery disease
- type diabetes
- adipose tissue
- blood pressure
- metabolic syndrome
- adverse drug
- atrial fibrillation
- patient reported outcomes
- electronic health record