​​A reliable pre-surgical risk assessment is urgently needed to improve preventive measures, consequent surgical outcomes and thus patients’ quality of life.

Post-Operative Delirium (POD)

More than 20% of patients aged over 60 suffer from cognitive impairment due to surgical complications [1].
Disorientation, memory loss, difficulty in speech, and behavioral changes are among the symptoms experienced by patients affected by Post-Operative Delirium (POD). These cognitive disorders result in a longer post-surgical recovery time, with increased hospital stays and associated costs [2]. In addition, the most severe forms of perioperative cognitive disorders can lead to the admission in nursing homes due to significant functional and cognitive decline.
Our AI-based approach allows us to identify high-risk patients for cognitive impairment before an operation. High
risk patients may require modifications to the peri-operative plan such as; minimal-invasive surgery, avoiding certain
medication, careful monitoring of depth-of-anesthesia and adapted nursing measures, shown to decrease the
incidence by 40%.

PIPRA'S SURVEY

Out of 108 anesthesiologists:​
- 80% believe that POD is a problem
- 70% claimed the utility of a patient
   risk score for POD 
- 80% thinks patients should be
​   informed about their risk of POD

 Today, there is no effective POD treatment currently available. It is therefore crucial to prevent the onset of these disorders.​

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PREVENTION IS KEY

As of today, no precise tool for patient screening and risk determination is yet available in the current clinical practice.​

Preventive strategies could help reduce POD incidence and thus improve patient’s quality of life.  For instance, finding the high-risk patients preoperatively would allow for the adoption of tailored and protective perioperative measures.
In parallel, it would also be crucial to properly inform patients about their risk of suffering from cognitive impairment after undergoing any surgery, under general anesthesia.

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The impact of post-operative delirium on patients is enourmous.

Dr. med. Rebecca von Haken from the University Hospital Mannheim and member of the Delir Network, Heidelberg has much experience with patients who end up with POD. What impact has a post-operative delirium in older people? And what are she and her team doing to help patients with a high risk of post-operative delirium?

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[1] Inouye, S.K. et al. Postoperative Delirium in Older Adults : Best Practice Statement from the American Geriatrics Society. 2015. JACS, 220. 2: 16-148.
[2] Inouye, S.K. Delirium in Older Persons. 2006. N Engl J Med. 354:1157-1165