Non-pharmacological Prevention of Postoperative Delirium by Occupational Therapy Teams

To determine whether non-pharmacological measures decrease the incidence of POD during the perioperative period in elderly patients undergoing highly complex elective surgeries, it will be performed a randomized clinical trial, where two groups of patients older than 75 years undergoing highly complex elective surgeries will be compared:

• The first group will receive a protocol of non-pharmacological interventions implemented by occupational therapy teams to prevent delirium plus standard non-pharmacological prevention interventions.
• The second group will only receive standard non-pharmacological prevention interventions.

This study will be carried out in the surgical units of the Hospital Clinico de la Universidad de Chile (HCUCH) and in the Hospital San Jose (HSJ).

The expected result is to demonstrate that the interventions carried out by occupational therapists decrease the incidence of DPO in a significant way in comparison with standard prevention intervention.

Inclusion criteria

• Hospital admission for highly complex elective surgery

Exclusion criteria

• History of cognitive impairment.
• A low score in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE): <23 points if the patient has 6 or more years of schooling, and <18 points if the patient has <6 years of schooling.
• Severe communication disorder and cultural language limitation (language other than Spanish).
• Delirium on admission or prior to the start of the intervention (measured with CAM).
• Patient enrolled in another study