Postoperative Delirium Prevention in Older Adults

An estimated 25% of older surgical patients develop postoperative delirium, which is associated with worse long-term outcomes (see Figure 1). Results of drug studies for prevention of delirium have been mixed, and current guidelines do not recommend routine pharmacological prophylaxis. To address this uncertainty, investigators performed a large network meta-analysis of randomized trials evaluating perioperative medications for delirium prevention in adults aged ≥60 years undergoing surgery.