• Olga de la Varga-Martínez, Rocío Gutiérrez-Bustillo, María Fe Muñoz-Moreno, Rocío López-Herrero, Esther Gómez-Sánchez, and Eduardo Tamayo.
• Department of Anaesthesiology, Infanta Leonor University Hospital, Gran Via del Este 80, 28031 Madrid, Spain; BioCritic. Group for Biomedical Research in Critical Care Medicine, Ramon y Cajal Ave. 7, 47005 Valladolid, Spain.
• J Clin Anesth. 2023 May 1; 85: 111030111030.

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of delirium on the functional and cognitive capacity of patients included in the DELIPRECAS study, as well as on their quality of life, in the 3-4 years after cardiac surgery.DesignProspective observational study.SettingAssessment of cognitive and functional status from hospital discharge to the present, 3 years after cardiac surgery.Patients313 patients undergoing cardiac surgery consecutively, aged 18 years or over.MeasurementsThe primary outcome measure was the cognitive and functional status of the patients 3 years after cardiac surgery, evaluated by telephone interview, and the possible influence on them of delirium diagnosed by the Confusion Assessment Method in Intensive Care Units (CAM-ICU) during their stay in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery.Main ResultsPostoperative delirium acts as an independent risk factor for the long-term development of memory problems (OR 6.11, 95% CI 2.54 to 14.68, p < 0.001), concentration (OR 11.20, 95% CI 3.58 to 35.09, p > 0.001), confusion/disorientation (OR 10.93, 95% CI 3.61 to 33.12, p > 0.001), sleep problems (OR 5.21, 95% CI 2 0.29 to 11.84, p < 0.001), nightmares (OR 8.99, 95% CI 1.98 to 40.90, p = 0.004), emotional problems (OR 4.30, 95% CI 1.87 to 9.91, p = 0.001) and poorer mobility after hospital discharge (OR 2.436, 95% CI 1.06 to 5.61, p = 0.037). The number of hospital readmissions was also significantly higher in those patients who developed delirium after cardiac surgery (27% vs 13.8%, p = 0.022).ConclusionPostoperative delirium is a risk factor for decreased quality of life in patients 3 years after heart surgery, being associated with greater cognitive and functional deterioration, as well as greater risk of hospital readmission. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on both prevention and early recognition and treatment of delirium to improve long-term outcomes for patients after cardiac surgery.Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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