Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Cerebral Small-vessel Disease and Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Noncardiac Surgical Patients
Main finding · Postoperative deliriumResult — go to the resultAdjusted odds ratio 1.95 95% CI 1.15–3.31Authors' conclusion
Preexisting cerebral small-vessel disease burden measured by magnetic resonance imaging is associated with doubled odds of postoperative delirium in elderly noncardiac surgical patients.
Study context
- Population
- Patients 65 to 85 yr having inpatient elective noncardiac surgery at five academic centres in China
- Participants
- 804 patients · 5 centres
- Exposure
- High vs lower preoperative cerebral small-vessel disease burden
- Outcome
- Postoperative delirium
Methodological detailsmulticentre, masked MRI assessment
- Multicentre
- Masked MRI assessment
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adjusted odds ratio
1.95
95% CI 1.15–3.31
P = 0.023
High cerebral small-vessel disease burden vs Lower burden
aOR 1.95 (95% CI 1.15–3.31); P = 0.023
- Overall incidence of postoperative delirium
- 69 (9%)
- Attributable risk
- 4.9% (95% CI 3.4% to 6.4%)
- Attributable risk percentage
- 44% (95% CI 37% to 51%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Lacunes and postoperative delirium
| aOR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lacunes | 2.96 (1.71–5.10) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.20.5125Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
White matter hyperintensities and postoperative delirium
| aOR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White matter hyperintensities | 3.32 (1.97–5.61) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.20.5125Adjusted odds ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
Cerebral Small-vessel Disease and Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Noncardiac Surgical Patients. Anesthesiology. Published 5 June 2026. doi:10.
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