The impact of psychomotor subtypes and duration of delirium on 6-month mortality in hip-fractured elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: Studies exploring the incidence and impact of the psychomotor subtypes of postoperative delirium (POD) on the survival of hip fracture patients are few, and results are inconsistent. We sought to assess the incidence of POD subtypes and their impact, in addition to delirium duration, on 6-month mortality in older patients after hip-fracture surgery. METHODS: This is a prospective study involving 571 individuals admitted to an Orthogeriatric Unit within a 5-year period with a diagnosis of hip fracture. Survival status was assessed 6 months after posthip fracture surgery. Postoperative delirium was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Postoperative delirium subtypes were classified according to Lipowski's criteria. Cox regressions were used to evaluate the associations between POD subtypes, POD duration, and 6-month mortality, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: The incidence of psychomotor POD subtypes was hypoactive 57 (10.0%), hyperactive 84 (14.7%), and mixed 79 (13.8%). Six-month mortality rates were 8.3%, 10.7%, 36.8%, and 29.1% in the no-delirium, hyperactive, hypoactive, and mixed-delirium subgroups, respectively. In adjusted models, the hypoactive subgroup (Hazard Ratio, HR = 3.14, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI, 1.63-6.04) and mixed subgroup (HR = 2.89, 95% CI, 1.49-5.62) showed high mortality rates and a significantly increased risk of mortality associated with POD duration as well. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperactive delirium was the most common POD psychomotor subtype, but hypoactive and mixed POD were associated with 6-month mortality risk. Moreover, the risk of death 6 months after surgery increased for both subgroups (hypoactive and mixed) with increasing duration of POD.

Association of postoperative delirium with markers of neurodegeneration and brain amyloidosis: a pilot study.

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between postoperative delirium (POD) and in vivo markers of Alzheimer's disease pathology in nondemented hip fracture surgery patients. POD was assessed with the Confusion Assessment Method. Amyloid load was quantified on 18F-Flutemetamol positron emission tomography images as standardized uptake value ratio. Secondary outcome measures were gray matter volumes, white matter integrity, and functional connectivity at rest. All the patients with POD (POD+, N = 5) were amyloid negative (standardized uptake value ratio <0.59), whereas 6 out of 11 patients without POD (POD-) showed brain amyloid positivity. POD+ compared to POD- displayed: lower gray matter volumes in the amygdala (p = 0.003), in the middle temporal gyrus and in the anterior cingulate cortex (p < 0.001), increased diffusivity in the genu of the corpus callosum and in the anterior corona radiata (p < 0.05), and higher functional connectivity within the default mode network (p < 0.001). POD patients showed altered gray and white matter integrity in the fronto-limbic regions in absence of brain amyloidosis. Based on this preliminary investigation, delirium pathophysiology might be independent of Alzheimer's disease. Future studies on larger samples are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Duration of postoperative delirium is an independent predictor of 6-month mortality in older adults after hip fracture.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between number of days with delirium and 6-month mortality in elderly adults after hip fracture surgery. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study with 6-month follow-up. SETTING: Orthogeriatric Unit (OGU). PARTICIPANTS: Individuals (mean age = 84.3 ± 6.4) admitted to the OGU between October 2011 and April 2013 with hip fracture (N = 199). MEASUREMENTS: Postoperative delirium (POD) was assessed daily using the Confusion Assessment Method algorithm and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, criteria. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between POD of and 6-month mortality after surgery, after adjustment for covariates including age, prefracture residence, Katz activity of daily living score, New Mobility score, diagnosis of prefracture dementia, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, albumin serum levels, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and length of OGU stay. RESULTS: Fifty-seven participants (28.6%) developed POD. In the 6-month period after surgery, 35 (17.6%) participants died: 16 of 57 (28.1%) with POD and 19/ of 142 (13.4%) with no POD. The average duration of POD was 2.0 ± 3.2 days for participants who died and 0.7 ± 1.8 days for those who survived (P < .001). After adjusting for covariates, each day of POD in the OGU increased the hazard of dying at 6 months by 17% (hazard ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-1.28). CONCLUSION: In older adults undergoing hip fracture surgery, duration of POD is an important prognostic factor for 6-month mortality. Efforts to reduce duration of POD are therefore crucial for these individuals.

Bilateral hearing loss after dichloromethane poisoning: a case report.

Dichloromethane is a widely used organic solvent. Occupational exposure to dichloromethane is frequent and can result in both acute and chronic toxicity, affecting mostly the central nervous system, directly or through its metabolite, carbon monoxide. The effects of dichloromethane on the peripheral nervous system are debated. Here we report the case of a 37-year-old woman who was accidentally exposed to dichloromethane. In the days following the incident she experienced bilateral hypoacusis. Hearing loss regressed after 25 days treatment with hyperbaric oxygen. This is the first report of sudden hearing loss after acute exposure to dichloromethane, suggesting a possible toxic effect of this solvent on the auditory system.

Psychosocial factors and metabolic parameters: is there any association in elderly people? The Massa Lombarda Project.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies claim that psychophysical stress and depression contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. The aim of our research is to discover and analyse a possible relationship between two psychosocial disorders (depression and perceived mental stress) and traditional cardiovascular risk markers. METHODS: We selected 106 subjects (58 males and 48 females), mean age 79.5 +/- 3.8-years old, from the Massa Lombarda Project, an epidemiological study, including 7000 north Italian adult subjects. We carried out anamnesis, clinical and blood tests. Then, we administered the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ range score 0-1) and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SRDS range score 50-70 Z), as validated instruments for depression and stress evaluation, which focus on the individual's subjective perception and emotional response. Statistical descriptive and inferential analyses of data collected were performed. RESULTS: The multiple linear regression analysis showed a negative correlation between PSQ index score and uric acid, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, a positive and statistically significant correlation between PSQ index score and triglycerides (p < 0.05). We found an inverse relationship between Zung SRDS score and LDL-c, uric acid, glucose waist circumference values, this correlation was significant only for uric acid (p < 0.01). Besides, a positive and significant correlation between Zung SRDS and triglycerides (p < 0.05) was observed. CONCLUSION: We suppose that psycho-emotional stress and depression disorder, often diagnosed in elderly people, may influence different metabolic parameters (triglycerides, uric acid and BMI) that are involved in the complex process of metabolic syndrome.