RISK FACTORS IN POSTOPERATIVE DELIRIUM IN CARDIAC SURGERY: MULTICENTER OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Background and Aim: Post-cardiac surgery delirium is serious complication that affects post-operative care and patient’s quality of life. Literature has poor knowledge about the environmental and clinical risk factors of subjects undergoing cardiac surgery and the onset of delirium. Aim’s study is to identify structural and clinical factors associated with the onset of post-operative delirium in cardiac surgery. Method: 229 patients in ICU’s cardiac surgery after cardiac surgery were enrolled in this multicenter observational study. Predictors of delirium were identified through alinear regression model. Result: Patient’s sample mean age of 73 years (SD=8.9), predominantly male (84.3%) and married (68.5%). Majority of patients had undergone bypass (72.9%), while 27.1% had undergone valve or endoprosthetic surgery. Logistic regression model showed that patient age, duration Vmechanically-assisted ventilation, time to exposure to artificial light, longer duration of extracorporeal circulation, blood transfusion and the presence of sleep disorders were predictors about the onset of delirium. Conclusion: Risk factors associated to development of delirium are multifactorial. Post- cardiac surgery delirium is potentially preventable with adequate identification of risk factors by nurses. Correctly identifying all the factors predisposing the onset of delirium can help to design a model for early identification and intervention on preventable factors.