Cataract extraction and confusion in elderly patients

Burrows, J., Briggs, R. S. and Elkington, A. R. (1985) Cataract extraction and confusion in elderly patients. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Gerontology, 7 (1), 51-70.

Abstract

A prospective study of patients undergoing cataract extraction was carried out to determine whether peri-operative procedures (including admission to hospital, anaesthesia, surgery and drug administration) caused mental impairment. All patients admitted during an eleven-week period were tested once preoperatively and at 24-hour intervals post-operatively until discharge, using a battery of seven tests to assess various aspects of cognitive and psychomotor function. A group of 41 elderly patients (mean age 74 years) showed significant impairment on the first post-operative day in all but two items of the test battery. Memory consolidation showed the greatest decline (44% on the first post-operative day) and remained impaired for 3 days. Conversely, a group of 9 'young' patients (mean age 50 years) showed impairment on only one test, also that of memory consolidation, and only on the first postoperative day.

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