After heart surgery, up to half of all patients may develop a state of sudden confusion called postoperative delirium. This condition can lead to longer time on a breathing machine, extended stays in the intensive care unit (ICU), and a slower overall recovery. Currently, doctors have no reliable way to predict delirium early enough to take preventive action. This study aims to build a computer-based early warning system. The system will combine continuous, real-time measurements of brain waves (EEG), the oxygen level in the brain, and heart and blood pressure function. It will also include information about each patient's health status. By analyzing all of these signals together, the model is designed to give an alert 1 to 6 hours before delirium might start, giving the care team a window of time to intervene. The study will take place in the ICU at Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University. Adults between 18 and 80 years old who are admitted to the ICU after heart surgery will be invited to participate. All patients will receive the usual standard of care; the study does not test any new treatment. Participation means the investigators will continuously record the brain, oxygen, and heart signals that are already being monitored, and a researcher will regularly assess the patient's thinking and alertness with a simple bedside check.
Eligibility
Sex
ALL
Min age
15 Years
Max age
80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Adult patients (18-80 years) admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine.
2. Underwent cardiac surgery.
3. Under multimodal monitoring (including EEG, cerebral oximetry, and invasive arterial blood pressure).
4. Signed informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Pre-existing dementia, history of psychiatric disorders, or long-term use of antipsychotic medications, preventing accurate assessment of delirium.
2. Preoperative severe hepatic or renal insufficiency (Child-Pugh Class C or eGFR \<30 mL/min/1.73 m²).
3. Severe craniocerebral injury, intracranial space-occupying lesion, or history of epilepsy.
4. Inability to obtain continuous EEG or cerebral oximetry signals due to technical reasons (e.g., scalp injury, abnormal probe placement site).
5. Patients expected to die within 24 hours.
6. Patients deemed unsuitable for the study by the investigator.
Primary outcome measure(s)
Incidence of Postoperative Delirium (POD) — From ICU admission until ICU discharge or Day 7 postoperatively, whichever occurs first. The proportion of participants who develop postoperative delirium during the ICU stay following cardiac surgery. Delirium is diagnosed using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) and classified as positive (delirium present) or negative (no delirium).
Time to Onset of Postoperative Delirium — From end of surgery until first documented delirium or ICU discharge, up to 7 days. The time (in hours) from the end of cardiac surgery (skin closure) to the first positive CAM-ICU assessment. Only for participants who develop POD.
Duration of Postoperative Delirium — From first delirium onset until delirium resolution or ICU discharge, up to 7 days. The total duration (in hours) from the first positive CAM-ICU assessment to the last positive CAM-ICU assessment, with no recurrence within 24 hours.
This page summarises publicly available registry data for informational purposes — not medical advice. Eligibility is determined by each study team; patients should discuss participation with their clinician.
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