A developed nomogram incorporating six independent predictors demonstrated excellent discrimination (AUC 0.909) for predicting delayed emergence from anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing VATS.
Observational (n=1,700)
No
Can a predictive model accurately identify elderly patients at increased risk of delayed emergence from anesthesia after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery?
A newly developed nomogram incorporating six perioperative variables provides good discrimination for predicting delayed emergence from anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing VATS, potentially aiding individualized perioperative management.
Effect estimate: AUC 0.909 (95% CI 0.888-0.929)
Background Delayed emergence from anesthesia is a common perioperative complication in elderly patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), which may lead to prolonged recovery and increased healthcare burden. However, predictive tools specifically developed for this population remain limited. This study aimed to develop and validate a practical model to identify patients at increased risk of delayed emergence from anesthesia. Methods This retrospective study included 1,400 elderly patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) at a tertiary hospital in Beijing between January 2020 and April 2026. An additional temporally independent cohort of 300 patients was used for temporal validation. Perioperative variables, including baseline characteristics, comorbidities, intraoperative parameters, and laboratory indicators, were collected. Predictors were selected using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, followed by multivariable logistic regression to construct the model. A nomogram was developed and internally validated using 1,000 bootstrap resamples. Model performance was assessed using discrimination, calibration, decision curve analysis (DCA), and temporal validation with subgroup analyses. Results Delayed emergence occurred in 210 patients (15.00%). Six independent predictors were identified: myocardial infarction, colloid solution use, bradycardia, end-tidal CO2 < 35 mmHg, hypothermia, and APTT. The model showed excellent discrimination in the derivation cohort (AUC = 0.909, 95% CI 0.888–0.929) with good calibration and clinical utility. In the temporal validation cohort, it maintained good discrimination (AUC = 0.863) and clinical usefulness, although calibration showed some deviation from ideal agreement. Subgroup analysis suggested better performance in patients aged ≥ 80 years. Conclusions The nomogram demonstrated good discrimination and clinical utility for predicting delayed emergence from anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing VATS. It may facilitate perioperative risk assessment and individualized perioperative management, although further recalibration may be required before external application.
Chen et al. (Mon,) conducted a observational in Delayed emergence from anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (n=1,700). Risk factors (myocardial infarction, colloid solution use, bradycardia, end-tidal CO2 < 35 mmHg, hypothermia, and APTT) was evaluated on Delayed emergence from anesthesia (anesthesia emergence time >90 minutes) (AUC 0.909, 95% CI 0.888-0.929). A developed nomogram incorporating six independent predictors demonstrated excellent discrimination (AUC 0.909) for predicting delayed emergence from anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing VATS.