Prevalence and risk factors of subsyndromal delirium among postoperative patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Aim The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for subsyndromal delirium in the postoperative patient. Design A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Methods The Review Manager 5.3 statistics platform and the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale were used for quality evaluation. Data Source s The following databases were searched: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Scopus and EBSCO from January 2000 to December 2021. Additional sources were found by looking at relevant articles' citations. Results A total of 1744 titles were originally identified, and five studies including 962 patients were included in the systematic review, with a pooled prevalence of postoperative subsyndromal delirium (PSSD) of 30% (95% CI: 0.28–0.32). Significant risk variables for PSSD were older age, low levels of education (≤9 years), cognitive impairment, higher comorbidity score, and the duration of operation. Conclusion PSSD is prevalent and is associated with a variety of risk factors as well as low academic performance. Impact Identification and clinical management of patients with PSSD should be improved. Future research on PSSD risk factors should look at a wider range of intraoperative and postoperative risk factors that can be changed. Patient and Public Contribution No Patient or Public Contribution.