POSTOPERATIVE DELIRIUM: WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW CAN THE ANESTHESIOLOGISTS PREVENT IT?

Abstract

Perioperative neurological complications pose a significant challenge in modern anesthesiology, as they represent a major source of morbidity, affecting quality of life, threatening patients' long-term survival, and increasing healthcare resource utilization. A perioperative neurological complication is any new injury or damage to the nervous system that occurs during anesthesia or surgery, including symptoms such as stroke, confusion, or nerve damage. Perioperative cognitive disorders like delirium and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are important; however, toften go unnoticed. Routine monitoring during the perioperative period is not standard practice in general, except for specific procedures. Prevention, early detection, and multidisciplinary management are crucial for effectively reducing the incidence of these complications and improving patient outcomes.