Preop Macular Thickness May Be Marker of Postop Delirium in Seniors
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, April 4, 2025 -- In older patients undergoing surgery, preoperative macular thickness may be a marker for vulnerability to developing postoperative delirium, according to a study published online April 1 in General Psychiatry.
Zhongyong Shi, M.D., from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and colleagues examined the relationship between retinal layer thickness and postoperative delirium in a cross-sectional study involving participants aged 65 years and older undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to measure preoperative macular thickness and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. The incidence and severity of postoperative delirium were measured on the first, second, and third days after surgery using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) algorithm and CAM-Severity.
Overall, 24 percent of the 169 participants developed postoperative delirium. The researchers found that individuals who developed versus did not develop postoperative delirium exhibited thicker preoperative macular thickness in the right eye (mean, 283.35 versus 273.84 µm). After adjustment for age, sex, and Mini-Mental State Examination scores, there were also associations observed for thicker preoperative macular thickness of the right eye with a higher incidence of postoperative delirium (adjusted odds ratio, 1.593) and greater severity (adjusted mean difference [β], 0.256). There was no such difference or association seen in the left macular or bilateral peripapillary RNFL thickness.
"Our findings suggest that macular thickness measured by OCT may serve as a noninvasive marker and identify individuals vulnerable to developing postoperative delirium after anesthesia and surgery among geriatric patients," the authors write.
One author disclosed ties to Baxter and NanoMosaic.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Older Age, Lower Fitness Linked to Atrial Ectopic Burden
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- Age is a significant independent risk factor for atrial ectopic burden (AEB) and ventricular ectopic burden (VEB), according to a study presented at the...
Geriatric Assessment in the Emergency Department Reduces Admission Rates
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- A comprehensive assessment of older adults being seen in the emergency department can help reduce hospital admissions, according to a study published...
2010 to 2023 Saw Decline in Births, Increase in Deaths in the United States
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 -- From 2010 to 2023, the number of births in the United States declined, and the number of deaths increased, according to the Aug. 27 National Vital...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.