Prevalence of Delirium in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery

The objective of this study is to determine prevalence of postoperative delirium and confusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This proposal is a pilot study designed to evaluate effect of cardiac surgery on prevalence of delirium and confusion.

The primary aim is to evaluate prevalence of delirium and confusion in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and to determine risk factors for this condition.

A secondary aim is to evaluate organic brain injury by early postoperative diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in patients who develop delirium and confusion.

The hypothesis to be tested is that patients with postoperative delirium and confusion have high incidence of organic brain injury as detected by DW-MRI.