Incidence, risk factors, and clinical implications of post-operative delirium in lung transplant recipients.

Background: Delirium significantly affects post-operative outcomes, but the incidence, risk factors, and long-term impact of delirium in lung transplant recipients have not been well studied.

Methods: We analyzed 155 lung transplant recipients enrolled in the Lung Transplant Outcomes Group (LTOG) cohort at a single center. We determined delirium incidence by structured chart review, identified risk factors for delirium, determined whether plasma concentrations of 2 cerebral injury markers (neuron-specific enolase [NSE] and glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]) were associated with delirium, and determined the association of post-operative delirium with 1-year survival.