Delirium after coronary bypass surgery evaluated by the organic brain syndrome protocol

Abstract

Objective: The aim was to evaluate symptoms of delirium from a psychogeriatric perspective occurring postoperative to coronary bypass surgery.

Design: Patients, > or = 60 years, scheduled for coronary bypass surgery (n = 52) were enrolled in a prospective descriptive study. The patients were evaluated before and several times after surgery by the Organic Brain Syndrome scale, and delirium was diagnosed according to psychiatric codes.

Results: Of the 52 patients, 23% presented delirium. These patients were older than the control group, 73.5 +/- 4.2 and 69.3 +/- 5.9 years, respectively (mean +/- SD, p < 0.01), and had more frequently a history of previous stroke (p < 0.05). Emotional delirium was seen in 83%, hyperactive delirium in about 40%, and 25% were classified to have a psychotic delirium. A major finding was a 58% frequency of hallucinations and illusions among patients with delirium, and a similar rate among those without delirium.

Conclusion: Delirium is common after cardiac surgery in particular in older patients, but is often under-diagnosed. Hallucinations were common in both delirious and non-delirious patients.