Screening for delirium after surgery: validation of the 4 A’s test (4AT) in the post-anaesthesia care unit

Summary

Postoperative delirium is common and has multiple adverse consequences. Guidelines recommend routine screening for postoperative delirium beginning in the post-anaesthesia care unit. The 4 A’s test (4AT) is a widely used assessment tool for delirium; however, there are no studies evaluating its use in the post-anaesthesia care unit. 

Saller et al. evaluated the performance of the 4AT in the post-anaesthesia care unit in a tertiary German medical centre. The findings published in Anaesthesia suggest that the 4AT is an effective and robust instrument for delirium detection in the post-anaesthesia care unit. suggest that the 4AT is an effective and robust instrument for delirium detection in the post-anaesthesia care unit.