Association Between Nutritional Status and Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Surgical Patients

Postoperative delirium is a common and severe complication among elderly surgical patients . This study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative nutritional status and the incidence of postoperative delirium among elderly surgical patients. This cross-sectional study enrolled 210 elderly patients (≥65 years) who underwent elective surgery. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool, and postoperative delirium was evaluated using the confusion assessment method. Of the 210 patients, 57% were well-nourished, 33% were at risk of malnutrition, and 10% were malnourished. The incidence of postoperative delirium was 14.3%. A statistically significant association was observed between malnutrition and the incidence of postoperative delirium (P < 0.05). Malnourished patients had 3.4 times greater odds of developing postoperative delirium than well-nourished patients (P < 0.05). The average length of hospital stays and complication rates were directly correlated with nutritional status. Malnourished patients had substantially longer hospital stays and higher complication rates than others (P < 0.05). Additionally, age and surgical duration were identified as considerable predictors of postoperative delirium. Malnutrition is thus substantially associated with an increased risk of postoperative delirium and other adverse postoperative outcomes in elderly surgical patients. These findings highlighted the importance of preoperative nutritional assessments and interventions as part of the standard care protocols for improving surgical outcomes in the elderly.