Postoperative delirium is one of the most common cognitive disorders facing the
geriatric patients undergoing surgery. Objective: To identify factors associated with
postoperative delirium among geriatric patients. Settings: The study was carried out in three
general surgical units at The Main University hospital and one surgical unit in Health
Insurance hospital in Alexandria. Subjects: 100 surgical geriatric patients were included in
the study aged 60 years and above, had normal cognitive function, had no depression,
received general anesthesia and the duration of their operation not exceeding 4 hours. Tools:
Five tools were used to collect data through patient's interview and observation namely
Socio-demographic and Clinical Data Structured Interview Schedule, Short Portable Mental
Status Questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form, Visual Analog Scale and
Delirium Observation Screening Scale. Results: Nearly one quarter of the surgical geriatric
patients suffered from postoperative delirium and the main factors associated with delirium
were age, marital status, level of education, physical status and clinical data of the geriatric
patient, length of hospital stay, hospital environment and level of anxiety pre and
postoperatively. Also, type and duration of operation affected significantly the occurrence of
postoperative delirium. Conclusion: Postoperative delirium is a common problem among
surgical geriatric patients. Many factors are associated with postoperative delirium either
pre, intra or postoperatively. Recommendations: Careful assessment of patient's cognitive
status on admission to the surgical units of hospital, active participation of family in geriatric
patients' plan of care and providing a safe environment.