Intraoperative oxygen concentration and postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a prospective randomized controlled clinical trial.

Authors

Shunpan Ji, Yue Shi, Xiaojing Fan, Bo Ye, Tianzhu Tao

Published in

International journal of colorectal disease. Volume 40. Issue 1. Pages 137. Jun 06, 2025. Epub Jun 06, 2025.

Abstract

Cerebral hypoxia and hypoperfusion are key pathophysiological contributors to postoperative delirium (POD). This study evaluated the impact of 40% versus 100% inspired oxygen (FiO₂) on POD incidence, neuroinflammation, and clinical outcomes in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.
In this trial, 160 elderly patients scheduled for major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia from 2022 to September 2023 were randomly assigned to receive 40% FiO₂ (n = 80) or 100% FiO₂ (n = 80). The primary outcome was POD incidence within 3 postoperative days. Secondary outcomes included perioperative oxygenation parameters, plasma neuroinflammatory markers, pulmonary infections, pain scores, and hospitalization duration. Blood samples were collected preoperatively and postoperatively for biomarker analysis.
Among 154 analyzed patients, POD incidence was 5.2% (8/154), with no significant difference between 40% FiO₂ (6.4%, 5/78) and 100% FiO₂ (3.9%, 3/76) groups (P = 0.72). The 40% FiO₂ group exhibited lower saturation of pulse oxygen, regional cerebral oxygen saturation, and arterial partial pressure of oxygen from 1 h post-anesthesia (T2) to anesthesia end (T5) (P < 0.05). No intergroup differences in interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, neuron-specific enolase, or neurofilament light chain levels were observed postoperatively (P > 0.05). FiO₂ levels did not influence pulmonary infection rates, postoperative VAS scores, or hospital stay (P > 0.05).
While 100% FiO₂ enhances cerebral oxygenation, it does not reduce POD incidence or neuroinflammatory markers compared to 40% FiO₂. High-concentration oxygen did not increase pulmonary complications but offered no clinical benefits in this cohort. Intraoperative FiO₂ should be titrated based on individualized patient needs.

PMID:
40478453
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Jun 2025.

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