Is altered mental state (confusion) common in elderly post op?

[LivewellRN]

Hi, I'm brand new here. I will be starting nursing school this Fall--so forgive me if this seems like a dumb question. My dad just underwent a triple bypass, aortic valve replacement, and modified maze (sp?) procedure on 6/21/06 (1 week ago) at the age of 79. He has been mentally alert before and after the surgery but now his nurses are telling me he's getting "confused" for long periods of time (i.e. can't think of words, forgets the names of his wife and kids, etc.) They have him off of pain medication so it's not the drugs that's causing it. He's still in SICU at this time but his vitals have remained stable.

Is it common in elderly patients to become disoriented or confused this long after major surgery? What has been your experiences? I live 4 hours away so I'm not able to see him daily. I have read that physiologically--the elderly tend to recover more slowly and are not able to respond to stresses as well. What do you think? Thanks for any insight.

Tamara

[dorimar, BSN, RN]

It is very common for elderly to become confused post op , especially in the icu. Some call it multifactorial encephalapathy (which could include drugs, fluid & electrolyte imbalances, sleep deprivation, sensory overlaoad, etc) Some call it ICU phychosis, but this is not a medicaly approved term. Sometimes though, there are more serious pathaological reasons for the confusion, which could include any number of things.

[SouthernLPN2RN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

I'd most certainly ask the doctor just in case. Now that my disclaimer is done, yes, I see that a lot. We get elderly folks who have post-op confusion for up to 2 weeks.

[LivewellRN]

Thanks for the info and new terminology. It's comforting to know. The doctors act like its no big deal but it was worrying me. Your explainations make sense.

Tamara