Development of postoperative delirium in relation to a room change in the general surgical unit.

To analyze the relationship between the development of postoperative delirium and a change of the patient's room, 1,006 cases of patients who had undergone surgery with general anesthesia were reviewed. Postoperative delirium developed in 84 (8.3%) cases. On the basis of symptomatic features, postoperative delirium was divided into four types: (1) excitement type, (2) excitement-hallucination type, (3) hallucination type, and (4) disorientation type. Of the 31 excitement-type cases, 21 developed within the 2nd postoperative day (POD) while 27 of 29 hallucination types developed after POD 2. Of 29 hallucination types, 22 developed after a room change while 20 of these 22 cases were transferred to a single room before POD 2. A quiet, dark, and isolated environment in a single room is suggest to contribute to the development of hallucinations. The development of postoperative delirium with hallucinations alone should thus be taken into consideration whenever a room change is decided.