Drinking in week before surgery a bad idea, doctors say

Drinking alcohol during the week before heart surgery multiplies the risk of delirium by six times, a study done at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver suggests. Delirium can include agitation, confusion and hallucinations. It may last days or weeks and can delay discharge from hospital or even increase the risk of complications and dying after surgery. Delirium is distressing for family members and increases the burden of care on nursing staff. Previous research has shown that it occurs more frequently in patients who are chronic drinkers and elderly. But in the current study, age was not a risk factor and merely drinking in the week before surgery increased the risk. The study, published in the B.C. Medical Journal, was conducted by six local physicians and a medical student. It was based on the charts of 38 patients who were admitted to St. Paul's for open heart bypass and/or valve surgery over a two-week period - Star Phoenix