Patient-Reported Quality of Recovery after Sedation for Endoscopy in the Elderly

Introduction: Although sedation is critical in minimizing discomforts in patients, conflicting data regarding the safety of sedation among the elderly population exist. This pro- spective study aimed to compare the quality of recovery (QoR) from gastrointestinal endoscopy performed under sedation between elderly and younger patients. Methods: We included 177 patients aged 40–64 (group 1, n = 66), 65–79 (group 2, n = 76), and ≥80 (group 3, n = 35) years. QoR was assessed 1 day after the procedure using the quality of recovery 15 (QoR-15) questionnaire, which is a 15-item questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 150. Patient demographic, procedural, and sedation data were collected, and neurocognitive function was assessed before and a day after sedation. Results: Groups 1 and 3 differed according to the Mini-Cog test and 3-word memory test performed be- fore the procedure (p < 0.001). QoR-15 scores between groups were not different (139 ± 19 group 1, 141 ± 17 group 2, and 147 ± 26 group 3; p >0.05). Patients in groups 3 and 2 were administered lower doses of propofol and midazolam than those in group 1. The incidence of oxygen desaturation (SaO 2 < 90% for >30 s) was lower in groups 1 and 2 than in group 3 (p = 0.01). Conclusions: As indicated by the QoR-15 questionnaire, the QoR from sedation was not significantly different between the study groups.