Decrease in Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients

Released: 1/18/2010 10:30 AM EST
Source: Mayo Clinic

Newswise — A recent study, published in the January issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, demonstrates that in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture repair under spinal anesthesia with propofol sedation, the prevalence of delirium can be decreased by 50 percent with light sedation, compared to deep sedation.

“These data show that, for every 3.5 to 4.7 patients treated in this manner, one incident of delirium will be prevented,” says Frederick Sieber, M.D., primary investigator of the study from the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. “Therefore, interventions capable of reducing the occurrence of postoperative delirium would be important from a public health perspective.”

Read more at Newswise.com

Some OTC Sleep, Cold Meds Could Harm Aging Brain

Drugs containing benadryl linked to slowed thinking, delirium in elderly, report finds

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) –Older people taking common over-the-counter drugs for pain, cold symptoms or help with sleep may increase their risk for cognitive impairment, including delirium, University of Indiana researchers report.

These drugs include Benadryl, Dramamine, Excedrin PM, Nytol, Sominex, Tylenol PM and Unisom.

Read more here: HealthScout