The frequency of cognitive impairment after anesthesia in patients over 60 years of age, and determination of risk factors

Abstract

Background: Cognitive impairment is one of the most common, severe, and life-threatening complications after surgery that understanding the factors affecting it, reduces the incidence of this complication. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment after anesthesia in patients over 60 years of age, and determination of risk factors. Methods: The study included 384 patients older than 60 years of age undergoing surgery. Mini mental state examination (MMSE) questionnaire was used to assess demographic and cognitive impairment before, and one and three days after the surgery. To compare quantities and qualitative data, t, chi-square, and Mann-Whitney tests were recruited. Findings: The frequency of mild and moderate cognitive impairment was 21.6 and 1.8, 38.8 and 12.5, and 46.6 and 5.2 percent before, and one and three days after the surgery, respectively. The high prevalence of cognitive impairment after surgery had significant correlation with older age, female gender, low education levels, being single, smoking and alcohol consumption, general anesthesia, and longer hospitalization (P < 0.050 for all). Conclusion: Based on these findings, we can say that the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the elderly was high after surgery. Moreover, we found that older age, female gender, low education, single people, history of smoking and alcohol consumption, general anesthesia, and length of stay in hospital increased cognitive impairment in patients over age 60 years of age. © 2018, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.