The relationship between postoperative outcomes and delirium after liver transplantation in intensive care unit: A single-center experience

Context: The incidence of delirium has been reported to be as high as 47% after liver transplantation (LT) and hepatic encephalopathy, acute kidney injury, the usage of calcineurin inhibitors, or high-dose steroids are accused as the reason for delirium. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the incidence of delirium and the relations with preoperative variables and postoperative outcomes after LT. Settings: In this single-center, retrospective, observational study, all patients who received an LT from 2015 to 2018 were enlisted. Subjects and Methods: The data were assessed by the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit and Delirium Rating Scale-revised version to find the presence and the severity of delirium. Statistical Analysis Used: Spearman's rho test and Mann-Whitney U-test of contingency were used in this study. Results: During the study, 43 consecutive patients underwent LT and 10 patients (23.3%) developed delirium postoperatively. Intraoperative and postoperative features were not significantly different between the two groups, and the delirium onset day was found to be 5 +/- 4.8 and the duration of delirium was 3.1 +/- 2.23 days. There was no statistically significant relationship between delirium and postoperative outcomes. Conclusions: Delirium could be considered a cause or a consequence of critical illness and psychiatric disorder. Although in the present study, a statistically significant difference was not detected between delirium and outcomes after surgery, it was shown that the morbidity rate increases with delirium.