Biological psychiatry
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Biological psychiatry · Jan 2017
Higher C-Reactive Protein Levels Predict Postoperative Delirium in Older Patients Undergoing Major Elective Surgery: A Longitudinal Nested Case-Control Study.
Delirium is a common, morbid, and costly postoperative complication. We aimed to identify blood-based postoperative delirium markers in a nested case-control study of older surgical patients using a proteomics approach followed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) validation. ⋯ Elevated preoperative and postoperative plasma levels of C-reactive protein were associated with delirium, suggesting that a preinflammatory state and heightened inflammatory response to surgery are potential pathophysiologic mechanisms of delirium.