Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Importance
Older patients undergoing abdominal surgery commonly experience preventable delirium, which extends their hospital length of stay (LOS).Objective
To examine whether a modified Hospital Elder Life Program (mHELP) reduces incident delirium and LOS in older patients undergoing abdominal surgery.Design, setting, and participants
This cluster randomized clinical trial of 577 eligible patients enrolled 377 older patients (≥65 years of age) undergoing gastrectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, and colectomy at a 2000-bed urban medical center in Taipei, Taiwan, from August 1, 2009, through October 31, 2012. Consecutive older patients scheduled for elective abdominal surgery with expected LOS longer than 6 days were enrolled, with a recruitment rate of 65.3%. Participants were cluster randomized by room to receive the mHELP or usual care.Interventions
The intervention (implemented by an mHELP nurse) consisted of 3 protocols administered daily: orienting communication, oral and nutritional assistance, and early mobilization. Intervention group participants received all 3 mHELP protocols postoperatively, in addition to usual care, as soon as they arrived in the inpatient ward and until hospital discharge. Adherence to protocols was tracked daily.Main outcomes and measures
Presence of delirium was assessed daily by 2 trained nurses who were masked to intervention status by using the Confusion Assessment Method. Data on LOS were abstracted from the medical record.Results
Of 577 eligible patients, 377 (65.3%) were enrolled and randomly assigned to the mHELP (n = 197; mean [SD] age, 74.3 [5.8] years; 111 [56.4%] male) or control (n = 180; mean [SD] age, 74.8 [6.0] years; 103 [57.2%] male) group. Postoperative delirium occurred in 13 of 196 (6.6%) mHELP participants vs 27 of 179 (15.1%) control individuals, representing a relative risk of 0.44 in the mHELP group (95% CI, 0.23-0.83; P = .008). Intervention group participants received the mHELP for a median of 7 days (interquartile range, 6-10 days) and had a shorter median LOS (12.0 days) than control participants (14.0 days) (P = .04).Conclusions and relevance
For older patients undergoing abdominal surgery who received the mHELP, the odds of delirium were reduced by 56% and LOS was reduced by 2 days. Our findings support using the mHELP to advance postoperative care for older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.Trial registration
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01045330.
SUBMITTER: Chen CC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5710459 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Chen Cheryl Chia-Hui CC Li Hsiu-Ching HC Liang Jin-Tung JT Lai I-Rue IR Purnomo Jerry Dwi Trijoyo JDT Yang Yi-Ting YT Lin Been-Ren BR Huang John J Yang Ching-Yao CY Tien Yu-Wen YW Chen Chiung-Nien CN Lin Ming-Tsan MT Huang Guan-Hua GH Inouye Sharon K SK
JAMA surgery 20170901 9
<h4>Importance</h4>Older patients undergoing abdominal surgery commonly experience preventable delirium, which extends their hospital length of stay (LOS).<h4>Objective</h4>To examine whether a modified Hospital Elder Life Program (mHELP) reduces incident delirium and LOS in older patients undergoing abdominal surgery.<h4>Design, setting, and participants</h4>This cluster randomized clinical trial of 577 eligible patients enrolled 377 older patients (≥65 years of age) undergoing gastrectomy, pan ...[more]