Delirium and cognitive decline are common complications of anesthesia and surgery in older adults. Evidence-based recommendations on strategies to reduce the risk of postoperative neurocognitive disorders are presented in a new practice advisory in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).
Tag: Delirium
New research led by UTHealth Houston sheds light on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
A study offering insights into understanding and managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias led by a team of UTHealth Houston researchers has been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Multicenter clinical study supports safety of deep general anesthesia
New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other institutions supports earlier findings that indicate that anesthesia is no more hazardous for the brain at higher doses than at lower doses.
Checklist Prompters Support ICU Rounds
New research from UPMC points to the potential for patient-specific checklists as a valid way to effectively translate the latest evidence into clinical practice. The study published in American Journal of Critical Care measured performance on the ABCDEF bundle during rounds.
Patients with Alzheimer’s dementia and related disorders who also have delirium incur greater healthcare costs that increase over time
Alzheimer’s Dementia and Related Disorders (ADRD) affects upwards of 5 million people in the United States, with no known treatments to stop or prevent its progression.
Treble clef treatment: Music to counter delirium in mechanically ventilated older adults in the ICU
Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic researcher-clinicians are conducting a multi-site study to establish that music intervention can reduce the likelihood of critically ill, mechanically ventilated older adults in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) developing delirium and can also improve their post-ICU brain health.
New study finds persistent viral shedding of COVID-19 is associated with delirium and six-month mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
The Northwestern Medicine Neuro COVID-19 research team discovered patients who continued to test positive more than 14 days after their initial positive test were more likely to experience delirium, longer hospital stays, were less likely to be discharged home, and had a greater six-month mortality than those without persistent viral shedding of COVID-19.
Study Helps Determine Light Sedation Levels Among ICU Patients
A pilot study at Maine Medical Center found that scores on the RAS and SASS sedation scales that were best associated with a patient’s ability to follow at least three commands are higher than the commonly recommended thresholds for each assessment tool.
EMS Ketamine Use on Agitated Patients on Cocaine Increases Intubation 5.75-fold
Patients with excited delirium often are administered ketamine by EMS before arriving at the hospital. Many of them are intoxicated or are using illicit substances, which may alter the properties of ketamine.
Hopkins Med News Update
NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:
-Study: Race and Ethnicity May Impact Prevalence and Treatment of Heart Valve Dysfunction
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Suggests Eliminating Nerve Cell Protein May Stop ALS, Dementia
-Researchers Tell Doctors to Avoid Routine Urinary Tests for Older Patients with Delirium
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Show How Air Pollution May Cause Chronic Sinusitis
-Researchers ID Location on Brain Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development
-COVID-19 News: The Return of Onsite Schooling — and How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID
Depression in older adults undergoing hip fracture repair associated with delirium after surgery
Screening for even mild depressive symptoms before hip fracture repair may be helpful in predicting which patients are at higher risk of developing delirium after emergency surgery, according to results of a new study by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine. The researchers say their findings also add to evidence that symptoms of depression and postoperative delirium may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, although those findings were not conclusive.
Study Links Delirium to Hospitalized Older Adults with Acute Heart Failure Mortality
A possible link between delirium and mortality in hospitalized older adults with acute heart failure exacerbation has been found by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Researchers ID blood protein that sheds light on common, post-operative complication
In a new study led by an interdisciplinary team of gerontologists, geriatricians, precision medicine experts, and bioinformaticians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), researchers identified a single protein present in the blood that is associated with increased risk of post-operative delirium.
Vanderbilt, Zambia Researchers Find Delirium in Hospitalized Patients Linked to Mortality, Disability in Sub-Saharan Africa
Delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction, is widespread in critically ill patients in lower resourced hospitals, and the duration of delirium predicted both mortality and disability at six months after discharge, according to a study published in PLOS ONE.
Study finds recommended ICU sedatives equally safe, effective
A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine provides the most definitive evidence to date that, of the two drugs recommended for light sedation of patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU, one is as effective and safe as the other.
6 Simple Steps Physician Anesthesiologists Can Lead on to Reduce Older Adults’ Risk of Surgery-related Delirium
A new paper defines the key practical steps that can be taken before, during, and after surgery to reduce patients’ risk of developing delirium and related problems that have long-term implications for brain health. Due to their unique role in perioperative care, physician anesthesiologists are ideally suited to lead multidisciplinary teams to implement these recommendations devoted to ensuring safety for all patients.
Alabama Symphony Orchestra musicians perform virtual concerts for sickest COVID-19 patients at UAB Hospital
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sickest patients at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital have had their troubles eased, however briefly, thanks to an innovative musical project. Helping those patients recover — and keeping their spirits up amid the isolation the virus requires — is the motivation for the project, an effort between UAB health care staff and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
AACN-funded Research Influences Nursing Practice
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses invites clinicians and nurse scientists to submit research projects by Oct. 30, 2020, for the next application cycle, with total available funding of $160,000. The most recent recipients and their projects exemplify AACN’s commitment to nurse-driven research and evidence-based practice.
Delirium ‘a silent healthcare crisis’
Dr. Lance Patak had an extensive background in nursing prior to entering medical school at UCLA. He is a huge advocate of making communications a vital sign — which, he said, could improve delirium among ICU patients. Patak calls poor…
A Silent Epidemic
After years of progress, geriatrician Sharon Inouye worries that hard-won best practices for reducing delirium risk are getting lost in the turmoil of COVID-19 care.
Standardized Screening First Step to Early Identification of Delirium
An initiative at Covenant Medical Center in west Texas changed clinical practice, resulted in a more judicious use of high-risk medications, and improved the quality of care for patients at risk for delirium.
New Software Targets ICU Delirium
One of the nation’s largest health information technology companies, Epic Systems Corp., based in Verona, Wisconsin, has released a system update that stands to advance prevention of ICU delirium and improve patient outcomes.
Predicting vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease and delirium
A paper published today in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shed new light on a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease that may indirectly influence patients’ risk of postoperative delirium.