Preventing confusion after heart surgery with acetaminophen
Official title: Scheduled Prophylactic 6-hourly IV Acetaminophen to Prevent Postoperative Delirium in Older Cardiac Surgical Patients (PANDORA) - Administrative Supplement
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11302871 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is looking at whether giving older patients acetaminophen regularly after heart surgery can help prevent confusion and disorientation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2019 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $506,664 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AG065554-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302871 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients aged 60 or older who are undergoing cardiac surgery.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing cardiac surgery or are younger than 60 years old would not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
After heart surgery, some older patients can experience confusion, known as delirium, which can be very distressing. This project aims to see if a common pain reliever, acetaminophen, given through an IV every six hours for the first two days after surgery, can help prevent this confusion. Researchers believe that acetaminophen might work by reducing inflammation and pain, which are factors that can contribute to delirium. By using a widely available and safe medication, this approach could offer a simple way to improve recovery for many patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a simple and safe way to significantly reduce the risk of confusion and disorientation for older patients recovering from heart surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Few pharmacological interventions have shown conclusive success in preventing postoperative delirium, making this a novel and important area of investigation.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Subramaniam, Balachundhar — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Subramaniam, Balachundhar
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Lipocalin-2 and delirium after surgery in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
A study at Duke University looks at how an inflammatory protein called lipocalin-2 may trigger delirium after surgery, especially in people at risk for Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
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Commercialization of an EEG-guided anesthesia system to reduce delirium in older adults and those at risk for Alzheimer’s
A new wireless EEG-guided anesthesia system aims to reduce postoperative delirium in seniors and people with or at risk for Alzheimer’s by personalizing brain monitoring during surgery.
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Delirium after surgery and its link to Alzheimer's and related dementias
This project looks at why older adults and people with or at risk for Alzheimer's can get delirium after surgery and how that might increase later dementia risk.
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Intraoperative EEG-Guided Anesthesia to Reduce Delirium in Older Adults and Those with Alzheimer’s or Related Dementias
A new system uses brainwave monitoring during surgery to tailor anesthesia and reduce delirium risk in older patients and those with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.
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Understanding how blood biomarkers link delirium after surgery to Alzheimer’s disease
This study tests whether blood markers of Alzheimer's disease can predict and explain delirium after surgery in older adults.
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Neuroinflammation, Protective Brain Scaffolds, and Delirium After Surgery
This project looks at why older people often get delirium after surgery and how brain tissues called perineural nets might influence this, with the goal of improving outcomes for people at risk of Alzheimer’s-related conditions.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.