Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Cognitive-frailty phenotyping and postoperative delirium risk in older surgical patients: a retrospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
In this cohort of older surgical patients, a pragmatic two-dimensional cognitive-frailty framework based on bedside screening tools demonstrated a clear gradient in postoperative delirium risk.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged ≥70 yr undergoing elective noncardiac, noncranial surgery at a tertiary centre, February 2022 to July 2024; cognition (Mini-Cog) and frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale) assessed61% intact, 20% frail-only, 11% cognitive-only, 8% cognitive-frailty
- Participants
- 3,353 patients
- Exposure
- Frail-only, cognitive-only and cognitive-frailty phenotypes vs intact
- Outcome
- Overall POD (at least one positive 4AT assessment, in PACU on day of surgery and on wards on postoperative days 1 and 2)
Methodological detailssingle tertiary centre
- Single tertiary centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Overall POD
Each group vs intactAdjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
Cognitive-frailty
4.79(3.22–7.11)
Cognitive-only
2.41(1.60–3.63)
Frail-only
1.72(1.20–2.47)
- Overall POD incidence
- 7.5%
- Increase in POD incidence across phenotypes
- P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
- Median postoperative length of stay (LOS) increased from 2.6 to 4.5 days across phenotypes
- P < 0.001
Original publication
Cognitive-frailty phenotyping and postoperative delirium risk in older surgical patients: a retrospective cohort study. Br J Anaesth. Published 14 August 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →