Newswise — Screening for even mild depressive symptoms before hip fracture repair may be helpful in predicting which patients are at higher risk of developing delirium after emergency surgery, according to results of a new study by researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine. The researchers say their findings also add to evidence that symptoms of depression and postoperative delirium may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease, although those findings were not conclusive.
A report on the findings, first posted online, ahead of print, on Feb. 3, 2021, will be published in an upcoming print issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Delirium is a condition characterized by sudden development of mental confusion and disturbance in attention. Some patients with delirium may appear to be restless and agitated, while others may appear to be drowsy and withdrawn….
