Gabriela Vörösová*, Ľubor Pilárik**, Mária Šabíková***
* Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Nursing
** Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Department of Psychological Sciences
*** Faculty Hospital in Nitra, Clinic of Surgery
VÖRÖSOVÁ, G. – PILÁRIK, Ľ. – ŠABÍKOVÁ, M. Changes in cognitive functions during acute confusion after abdominal surgeries. In Ošetrovateľstvo: teória, výskum, vzdelávanie [online], 2012, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 51-55. Available on: https://www.osetrovatelstvo.eu/en/archive/2012-volume-2/number-2/changes-in-cognitive-functions-during-acute-confusion-after-abdominal-surgeries.
Introduction: Cognitive impairment after abdominal surgeries is the most frequently manifested as postoperative delirium/acute confusion. The assessment of patient´s cognitive status is an important part of care management.
Objective: The objective of the study was to show the changes in cognitive functions through the SMMSE (The Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination) in patients after abdominal surgeries that were diagnosed with acute confusion.
Methodology and Sample: We used the translated Slovak version of the SMMSE presented by Vajdičková & Kolibáš (2000). The scale was applied in n = 111 purposively selected participants, the 65-85 year-old patients with acute confusion who were assessed minimally 3 times (on the 1st, 4th and 7th days of acute confusion). We used Fischerov F test (ANOVA) and Student´t-test for statistical data processing.
Results: The statistically significant differences in cognitive functions were not found between the genders. The differences were found in the groups according to age on the 4th day between the 1st group (65-75 year-olds), the 2nd group (76-80 year-olds) vs. the 3rd group (81-85 year-olds). There were significant differences between individual measurements and diagnoses in the comparison according to the diagnoses (K35, K80, K56, K40, K25, and C18).
Conclusion: The expected differences in cognitive functions were found in the groups according to age and diagnoses of abdominal surgeries. Fluctuating cognition is one of the defining characteristics of nursing diagnosis Acute Confusion.
Keywords: SMMSE, cognitive functions, acute confusion, delirium, assessment
doc. PhDr. Gabriela Vörösová, PhD.
Katedra ošetrovateľstva, FSVaZ UKF
Kraskova č. 1
949 74 Nitra
Slovenská republika
e-mail: gvorosova@ukf.sk
Received: 15th February 2012
Accepted: 11th March 2012