Holocaust survivors have a lower risk of delirium after surgery than others their age, and a new study suggests it may owe to mental resilience developed in response to their horrific experiences.
"Given that Holocaust survivors are at increased risk of a range of physical and psychological conditions, we were surprised to find that they seem to have a lower risk of post-operative delirium," said study leader Dr. Yotam Weiss. He is with the department of anesthesiology and intensive care at Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel.
"As a grandson to survivors, the first thing ... that came to mind was 'resilience' -- the ability to adapt positively to adversity or to recover readily from adversity," Weiss said.
Weiss presented the findings at a meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, held online and in Milan, Italy, June 4 to 6. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The researchers noted that delirium -- confusion and sudden and severe problems with thinking, memory and awareness -- is the most common complication after surgery in older people.