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Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction

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Abstract

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a disturbing reality, the consequence of which may be significant morbidity and mortality. The spectrum of memory dysfunction, including acute delirium, postoperative decline, and dementia, is a source of anxiety for patients and their families. Comprehensive awareness about POCD may provide a direction to identify, manage, and prevent POCD in most vulnerable patients. POCD also has long-term consequences of costs involving the management of the cognitively debilitated. Persistent postoperative systemic inflammation is a key element that contributes to pathogenesis of COPD. Advanced age, metabolic syndromes, neurological disorders, and wrong choice of anesthetics/sedative drugs may each result in excessive and prolonged neuro-inflammatory response to surgery. By recognizing patients early enough in the occurrence of ongoing inflammation, interventions can be suitably executed. This chapter aims to discuss comprehensively the pathogenesis, risk factors, management, and prevention of POCD in patients after non-cardiac surgery.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroanaesthesia and Neurocritical Care, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India

    Suparna Bharadwaj & Sriganesh Kamath

Authors
  1. Suparna Bharadwaj
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  2. Sriganesh Kamath
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India

    Hemanshu Prabhakar

  2. Division of Neuroanesthesiology, Department of Anesthesiology, Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Soura, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Zulfiqar Ali

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Bharadwaj, S., Kamath, S. (2019). Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction. In: Prabhakar, H., Ali, Z. (eds) Textbook of Neuroanesthesia and Neurocritical Care. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3387-3_34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3387-3_34

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-3386-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-3387-3

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