Delirium and Long-Term Cognitive Decline: Real Data

Delirium is common in postoperative and critically ill hospitalized patients and has been estimated to occur in 25% of postsurgical patients and up to 82% of patients admitted to intensive care units. It has been associated with higher mortality and, anecdotally, with cognitive decline. To examine long-term cognitive impairment following delirium, researchers completed a systematic review and meta-analysis of articles that used quantifiable methods for diagnosis of delirium and that measured cognition at least 3 months after the delirium episode (to exclude the temporary, fluctuating cognitive decline that can be part of delirium itself).

The 24 included studies involved 3562 patients with delirium and 6987 controls without delirium. Patient…