Pharmacologic Treatment for Hypoactive Delirium in Adult Patients: A Brief Report of the Literature

Long-term mortality impact of postoperative hyperactive delirium in older hip fracture surgery patients

BACKGROUND

Postoperative hyperactive delirium is a common and serious complication in older patients undergoing surgery, but the association between delirium and mortality remains controversial. Compared to other delirium subtypes, hyperactive delirium is characterized by more overt clinical manifestations, facilitating accurate detection and evaluation. This study aimed to clarify this association by comparing long-term mortality between patients with and without postoperative hyperactive delirium, using propensity score matching for robust analysis.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study to evaluate the association between postoperative hyperactive delirium and long-term mortality in older patients undergoing emergency hip fracture surgery. We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Service database to identify patients aged 65 years or older who underwent emergency hip fracture surgery between 2008 and 2018. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 270,437 patients were included in the analysis, with 6,795 patients in the postoperative hyperactive delirium group and 263,642 patients in the no postoperative hyperactive delirium group. After PSM, both groups contained 6,795 patients, ensuring balanced baseline characteristics for comparison. Postoperative hyperactive delirium was an independent risk factor for all-cause death, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.62 (95% confidence interval, 1.51-1.74; P < 0.0001) after PSM. Subgroup analysis revealed that older patients with postoperative hyperactive delirium consistently exhibited significantly higher adjusted hazard ratios of all-cause death compared with those without postoperative hyperactive delirium, regardless of age, sex, income levels, or ASA scores. Although the difference in 5-year overall survival between groups (81.7% vs. 89.8%, P < 0.0001) was statistically significant, the high survival rates in both groups suggest a modest absolute clinical impact.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative hyperactive delirium is an independent risk factor for long-term mortality in older patients undergoing emergency hip fracture surgery. While the statistical association is evident, it is important to carefully consider the modest absolute difference in survival rates and its implications for clinical application.

Associations between early in-hospital medications and the development of delirium in patients with stroke

OBJECTIVES

Patients hospitalized with stroke develop delirium at higher rates than general hospitalized patients. While several medications are associated with existing delirium, it is unknown whether early medication exposures are associated with subsequent delirium in patients with stroke. Additionally, it is unknown whether delirium identification is associated with changes in the prescription of these medications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to a comprehensive stroke center, who were assessed for delirium by trained nursing staff during clinical care. We analyzed exposures to multiple medication classes in the first 48 h of admission, and compared them between patients who developed delirium >48 hours after admission and those who never developed delirium. Statistical analysis was performed using univariate testing. Multivariable logistic regression was used further to evaluate the significance of univariately significant medications, while controlling for clinical confounders.

RESULTS

1671 unique patients were included in the cohort, of whom 464 (27.8%) developed delirium >48 hours after admission. Delirium was associated with prior exposure to antipsychotics, sedatives, opiates, and antimicrobials. Antipsychotics, sedatives, and antimicrobials remained significantly associated with delirium even after accounting for several clinical covariates. Usage of these medications decreased in the 48 hours following delirium identification, except for atypical antipsychotics, whose use increased. Other medication classes such as steroids, benzodiazepines, and sleep aids were not initially associated with subsequent delirium, but prescription patterns still changed after delirium identification.

CONCLUSIONS

Early exposure to multiple medication classes is associated with the subsequent development of delirium in patients with stroke. Additionally, prescription patterns changed following delirium identification, suggesting that some of the associated medication classes may represent modifiable targets for future delirium prevention strategies, although future study is needed.