Onslaught of the silver tsunami: cognitive impairment and frailty in older patients undergoing surgery

Cognitive impairment and frailty are common conditions in older patients undergoing surgery and frequently occur together. Each of these conditions independently predicts adverse postoperative outcomes. A retrospective cohort study by Weiss and colleagues used the Mini-Cog test and Clinical Frailty Scale to assess the incidence of postoperative delirium. The results showed that in patients with both cognitive impairment and frailty, postoperative delirium occurred in 24% of cases. In comparison, patients without these conditions experienced delirium in only 4% of cases. The combined impact of these two conditions on perioperative outcomes remains poorly understood.