Specialty psychiatry ICD-9-CM 292.81 | ICD-10 F13.4 | |
Emergence delirium (sometimes referred to as agitated emergence, emergence agitation, emergence excitement, or postanesthetic excitement) is a condition in which emergence from general anesthesia is accompanied by psychomotor agitation. Some see a relation to pavor nocturnus while others see a relation to the excitement stage of anesthesia.
Contents
In children
The pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium scale may be used to measure the severity of this condition in children.
Epidemiology
The overall incidence of emergence delirium is 5.3%, with a significantly greater incidence (12–13%) in children. The incidence of emergence delirium after halothane, isoflurane, sevoflurane or desflurane ranges from 2–55%. Most emergence delirium in the literature describes agitated emergence. Unless a delirium detection tool is used, it is difficult to distinguish if the agitated emergence from anesthesia was from delirium or pain or fear, etc. A research study of 400 adult patients emerging from general anesthesia in the PACU were assessed for delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) found rates of emergence delirium of 31% at PACU admission with rates declining to 8% by 1 hour.