Correlation of preoperative inflammatory factors and emotional disorders with postoperative delirium in patients with craniocerebral trauma

BACKGROUND Traumatic brain injury (TBI) imposes a substantial societal and familial burden due to its high disability and fatality rates, rendering it a serious public health problem. Some patients with TBI have poor treatment outcomes and are prone to postoperative delirium (POD), which affects their quality of life. Anxiety has been linked to increased POD incidence in some studies, while others have found no correlation. AIM To investigate the correlation of POD risk factors, preoperative inflammatory factors, and mood disorders in patients with TBI. METHODS We retrospectively collected data on the treatment of 80 patients with TBI from November 2021 to September 2023. Patients were grouped as POD and non-POD, according to their POD status, and the general data of the two groups were compared. Inflammatory factor levels were detected preoperatively, and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) were used to investigate the risk factors associated with POD in these patients. Logistic regression was used to identify the independent risk factors. RESULTS Twenty-one patients (26.25%) developed POD, including 7, 10, and 4 cases of the excitatory, inhibitory, and mixed types, respectively. There were 59 cases (73.75%) in the non-POD group. Compared with the non-POD group, the POD group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with low Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores before admission, unilateral mydriasis, preoperative hemorrhagic shock, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), and postoperative hyperglycemic hyperosmolar disease (P < 0.05). In the POD group, interleukin-6 (IL-6), human tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), myeloperoxidase levels, HAMA, and HAMD scores were higher than those in the non-POD group (all P < 0.05). Logistic multivariate analysis showed that GCS score at admission, IVH, IL-6, TNF-α, HAMA, and HAMD were independent risk factors for POD in patients with TBI (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Low GCS score at admission, IVH, elevated IL-6 and TNF-α, other inflammatory indicators, anxiety, and depression, can increase the risk of POD in patients with TBI after surgery.