OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Shenfu Injection (SI) on the post-operative cognitive dysfunction in senile patients receiving the orthopedic surgeries after general anesthesia.

METHODS100 patients, 60-89 years old, waiting for selective surgery at the orthopedics department, were randomly assigned to two groups, the SI group (50 cases) and the control group (50 cases), who met the standard of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) II-III. After surgical incision, patients in the SI group were transfused with SI 200 mL (50 mL SI was added in 200 mL normal saline), while those in the control group were transfused with 200 mL normal saline at the same time. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were compared between the two groups before anesthesia, after intubation, 30 min and 60 min after anesthesia, 5 min and 30 min after extubation. The time for surgery, the time of intra-operative hypotension, the volume of hemorrhage, the time for post-operative consciousness recovery, the liver function, the kidney function, and the fasting blood glucose of patients before surgery, 3 days and 7 days after operation were compared. The cognitive functions of patients were tested before surgery, 3 days and 7 days after operation. The incidence of post-operative cognitive dysfunction of patients was compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThere was insignificant difference in MAP, HR, and SpO2 between the two groups at each time point (P > 0.05). There was insignificant difference in the pre-operative cognitive function score, the time for surgery, the time of intra-operative hypotension, the volume of hemorrhage, the liver function, the kidney function, and the fasting blood glucose between the two groups ( P > 0.05). The time for post-operative consciousness recovery was obviously shorter in the SI group than in the control group, showing significant difference (P < 0.05). The post-operative 3-day and 7-day cognitive function scores were obviously better in the SI group than in the control group, showing significant difference (P < 0.05). The incidence of post-operative cognitive dysfunction of the SI group [3 days: 12% (6 cases); 7 days: 8% (4 cases) ] was significantly lower than that of the control group [3 days: 20% (10 cases); 7 days: 14% (7 cases) ] ( P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSI could improve the post-operative cognitive function of senile patients receiving the orthopedic surgeries after general anesthesia, lower the incidence of post-operative cognitive dysfunction rate, and shorten the time for post-operative consciousness recovery.