Synthesizing the risk of postoperative delirium in organ transplantation

Core Tip

Core Tip: The meta-analysis by Hou et al provides a crucial summary, establishing a 20% overall incidence of postoperative delirium in organ transplant patients, with rates varying significantly by organ. Key risk factors identified, such as primary graft dysfunction and high model for end-stage liver disease/acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II scores, offer actionable targets for clinical prevention. However, the study's substantial heterogeneity and the unexpected non-significance of age as a risk factor highlight the limitations of pooling diverse studies. This commentary emphasizes that while the meta-analysis is a valuable evidence synthesis, its findings should be interpreted with caution, paving the way for future prospective, organ-specific research with standardized protocols to develop robust clinical tools.