Gerontology
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There is general agreement that acute confusional state (ACS) is common among elderly patients admitted to hospital, although exact figures are difficult to obtain. The objective of the current study was to investigate the onset of ACS during hospital stay and to isolate possible predisposing, facilitating and precipitating factors associated with the onset of ACS. ⋯ The incidence of ACS was 20% among hip surgery patients. Older age and social isolation were factors associated with ACS. Increased attention and interaction with older patients could be of value in avoiding ACS during hospitalization.
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To investigate the incidence of postoperative delirium among elderly patients and to examine the interrelationship between basic vulnerability and precipitating factors for delirium. ⋯ Few risk factors of postoperative delirium in the older Chinese sample were identified. The only modifiable risk factor appears to be the use of psychoactive drugs.