The CARE study. Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cognitive Assessment in day-case surgical Recovery of Elderly patients.
IRAS ID
232668
Contact name
Archana Shaji Devadas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are two complex conditions and the relation to each other has not been fully understood yet. Deiner and Silverstein (2009) explain POD as a mental status fluctuation after surgery, and POCD as a temporary decline of cognition including learning, memory, verbatim, perception, attention and judgement. Older adults undergoing general anaesthesia are at high risk of developing cognitive impairment, and delirium after surgery (Hussain et al., 2014). Many studies conducted in postoperative inpatients to identify the incidence of cognitive decline. However, not much studies conducted in day case surgeries to explore the incidence of cognitive function after surgry. One of the critical requirements of day surgery is the patients' fast return to the full cognitive function postoperatively. Early detection of postoperative cognitive decline enables the successful treatment by therapeutic and supportive care. It is essential to find a screening tool that assesses both cognition and delirium in short period to use in the day case surgical area. 4AT screening tool assesses both cognition and delirium, in short, time. Moreover, it has been validated in elderly surgical patients.
The CARE study will be exploring the incidence of the POD and POCD in postoperative day surgical patients. The targeted population of this study will be patients age 60 years and over listed for day case surgeries under general anaesthesia. There is much research on the cognitive status of inpatients, but so little in day case surgery. Therefore the result of this study will further enhance the postoperative care of elderly patients in day surgeries.
Dissemination of the study results will take place in unit based meetings and peer-reviewed journals. The results will be submitted in thesis form to the University of Plymouth as part of student/principal investigator's Master degree programme.
REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
18/WA/0028
Date of REC Opinion
7 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion