Obstructive sleep apnea and incidence of postoperative delirium after elective knee replacement in the nondemented elderly.

Background: Postoperative delirium, a common complication in the elderly, can occur following any type of surgery and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; it may also be associated with subsequent cognitive problems. Effective therapy for postoperative delirium remains elusive because the causative factors of delirium are likely multiple and varied.

Methods: Patients 65 yr or older undergoing elective knee arthroplasty were prospectively evaluated for postoperative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV delirium.

Comparison of seizure duration, ictal EEG, and cognitive effects of ketamine and methohexital anesthesia with ECT.

The authors retrospectively compared the seizure duration, ictal EEG, and cognitive side effects of ketamine and methohexital anesthesia with ECT. This comparison was carried out with data from consecutive index ECT treatments that occurred immediately before and after a switch from methohexital to ketamine in 36 patients. Ketamine was well tolerated and prolonged seizure duration overall, but particularly in those who had a seizure duration shorter than 25 seconds with methohexital at the maximum available stimulus intensity.