Does Optimized General Anesthesia Care Reduce Postoperative Delirium?

Postoperative delirium occurs in up to 65% of elders undergoing surgery for repair of a hip fracture and this complication is independently associated with increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and placement in long-term care institutions. To date, the only intervention shown to be effective at minimizing postoperative delirium is a proactive geriatric consultation. This prospective randomized clinical trial will randomize 160 adults, aged 65 years or older, to either optimized general anesthesia or usual general anesthesia care for hip fracture surgery to determine if the optimized anesthesia management reduces the severity of postoperative delirium.