Incidence and risk factors for cognitive dysfunction in patients with severe systemic disease.

Objective: To determine the relevance of surgery and other causative factors to the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in patients with severe systemic disease.

Methods: This observational study included 107 noncardiac surgical patients and 26 nonsurgical control subjects, all of whom had an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical classification status of 3. Cognitive assessment was performed preoperatively and 7 days postoperatively, or with a 7-day interval for the control group.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction: computerized and conventional tests showed only moderate inter-rater reliability.

Purpose: The incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) depends on the test battery and calculation method used. The measurements may be performed with a paper and pencil test battery or with a computerized test battery. The objective of this study was to measure the incidence and congruence of POCD by comparing a computerized test battery with a paper and pencil test battery in the same patient population.