Impact of Fast-Track Anesthesia on Postoperative Delirium After Cardiac Surgery

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a single-center, prospective observational cohort conducted at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2026 to January 2027. It enrolls about 320 adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery under general anesthesia and compares delirium incidence between those managed with fast-track postoperative extubation versus conventional anesthesia care. Patients are grouped by the duration of postoperative endotracheal intubation, with 130 in the fast-track group and 190 in the control group. Anesthesiology decisions follow routine clinical practice and patient characteristics; no randomized interventions are assigned. The study aims to clarify whether faster extubation timing is associated with postoperative neurocognitive outcomes, specifically delirium, in this population.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Scheduled for elective cardiac surgery under general anesthesia;
2. Aged ≥ 18 years, regardless of gender;
3. NYHA cardiac function class \< Ⅳ;
4. ASA anesthesia class ≤ Ⅳ;
5. Voluntarily sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of mental or neurological diseases (including depression, severe central nervous system depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, etc.);
2. Severe impairments that may hinder cognitive testing (such as blindness, severe deafness, or dementia);
3. Preoperative use of psychotropic drugs or opioid drugs;
4. Relative contraindications to general anesthesia: patients with severe pulmonary dysfunction, severe hepatic or renal dysfunction, severe infection, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or severe diabetic complications (diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar coma, various infections, macrovascular diseases, diabetic nephropathy);
5. Previous cardiac surgery under general anesthesia;
6. Missing perioperative data or postoperative loss to follow-up.

Where it's running

• Nanchang University Second Affiliated Hospital
  Nanchang, Jiangxi, China Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Fuzhou Hua, doctor
• Email: huafuzhou@126.com
• Phone: 15170238929

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.