BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Postanesthetic Delirium (PAD) is a common acute mental disorder most commonly developed in elderly patients. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood and PAD is often confused with others psychiatric disorders. This study aimed at reviewing important features of this anesthetic complication in geriatric patients. CONTENTS: Postanesthetic delirium pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment are described. CONCLUSIONS: Postanesthetic delirium is a frequent and severe complication for geriatric patients. Little attention has been given to PAD and few prospective studies have been carried out. There are no available epidemiological studies on this subject in Brazil, nonetheless routine observation of geriatric patients admitted to postanesthetic care units and wards shows that PAD is a common event, suggesting the need for better preoperative assessment, adequate perioperative care and early diagnosis and treatment.
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