Antidepressants linked to postoperative delirium in the elderly
Drug safety researchers also warn benzodiazepines may increase risk
Older patients on antidepressants have an increased risk of experiencing delirium after orthopaedic surgery, an Australian study suggests.
The research, conducted by experts in quality use of medicines from the University of SA, found a clear difference in the likelihood of delirium depending on the drugs being taken preoperatively.
In the government-funded study, the authors analysed Department of Veterans’ Affairs data from more than 10,400 patients aged 65 and older (mean age 88) who had undergone knee or hip surgery in the past 20 years.
About a quarter of them (2614) experienced delirium within seven days post-surgery, and for the study, these patients were matched with 7842 controls who had no delirium.
