Outcomes in Post-operative Delirium Following Bowel Resection: A Single Center Retrospective Review.

INTRODUCTION: Delirium is associated with adverse post-operative outcomes, long-term cognitive dysfunction, and prolonged hospitalization. Risk factors for its development include longer surgical duration, increased operative complexity and invasiveness, and medical comorbidities. This study aims to further evaluate the incidence of delirium and its impact on outcomes among patients undergoing both elective and emergency bowel resections. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study using an institutional patient registry. All patients undergoing bowel resection over a 3.5-year period were included. The study measured the incidence of post-operative delirium via the nursing confusion assessment method. This incidence was then compared to patient age, emergency versus elective admission, length of stay, mortality, discharge disposition, and hospital cost. RESULTS: A total of 1934 patients were included with an overall delirium incidence of 8.8%. Compared to patients without delirium, patients with delirium were more likely to have undergone emergency surgery, be greater than 70 y of age, have a longer length of stay, be discharged to a skilled nursing facility, and have a more expensive hospitalization. In addition, the overall mortality was 14% in patients experiencing delirium versus 0.1% in those that did not. Importantly, when broken down between elective and emergency groups, the mortality of those experiencing delirium was similar (11 versus 13%). CONCLUSIONS: The development of delirium following bowel resection is an important risk factor for worsened outcomes and mortality. Although the incidence of delirium is higher in the emergency surgery population, the development of delirium in the elective population infers a similar risk of mortality.

Hospital-Acquired COVID-19: Case Discussions of Two Patients Treated at a Level I Trauma Center.

The community spread of COVID-19 is well known and has been rigorously studied since the onset of the pandemic; however, little is known about the risk of transmission to hospitalized patients. Many practices have been adopted by healthcare facilities to protect patients and staff by attempting to mitigate internal spread of the disease; however, these practices are highly variable among institutions, and it is difficult to identify which interventions are both practical and impactful. Our institution, for example, adopted the most rigorous infection control methods in an effort to keep patients and staff as safe as possible throughout the pandemic. This case report details the hospital courses of two trauma patients, both of whom tested negative for the COVID-19 virus multiple times prior to producing positive tests late in their hospital courses. The two patients share many common features including history of psychiatric illness, significant injuries, ICU stays, one-to-one observers, multiple consulting services, and a prolonged hospital course prior to discharge to a rehabilitation facility. Analysis of these hospital courses can help provide a better understanding of potential risk factors for acquisition of a nosocomial COVID-19 infection and insight into which measures may be most effective in preventing future occurrences. This is important to consider not only for COVID-19 but also for future novel infectious diseases.