Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for subsyndromal delirium in the postoperative patient.
Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods: The Review Manager 5.3 statistics platform and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used for quality evaluation.
Data sources: The following databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Scopus and EBSCO from January 2000 to December 2021. Additional sources were found by looking at relevant articles' citations.
Results: A total of 1744 titles were originally identified, and five studies including 962 patients were included in the systematic review, with a pooled prevalence of postoperative subsyndromal delirium (PSSD) of 30% (95% CI: 0.28-0.32). Significant risk variables for PSSD were older age, low levels of education (≤9 years), cognitive impairment, higher comorbidity score, and the duration of operation.
Conclusion: PSSD is prevalent and is associated with a variety of risk factors as well as low academic performance.
Impact: Identification and clinical management of patients with PSSD should be improved. Future research on PSSD risk factors should look at a wider range of intraoperative and postoperative risk factors that can be changed.
Patient and public contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution.
Keywords: Subsyndromal delirium; meta-analysis; nurse; nursing; postoperative care; prevalence; risk factors; surgery.
© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.