Postoperative confusion assessed with the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire.

Background: Confusion is a common occurrence after cardiac surgery. However, there is great variability in the reported incidence of confusion in patients following cardiac surgery, mainly due to the diagnostic methods and instruments employed in assessing confusion.

Methods: Forty-eight cardiac surgery patients were assessed for postoperative confusion by a non-structured physician interview, and by the short portable mental status questionnaire (SPMSQ) administered by a medical student.

Relationship between elevated preoperative troponin T and adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery.

Background: The prognostic value of troponin T (TnT) has been demonstrated in patients following a myocardial infarction. There are limited data regarding the prognostic utility of preoperative TnT in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The aim of the present study was to determine if elevated preoperative TnT is a predictor of more complex recovery outcomes in the cardiac surgical setting.