Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part B (2025)

Introduction: Global life expectancy is increasing, leading to a rise in the elderly population, projected to double worldwide by 2050. In Mexico, 14% of the population is aged 60+. Aging involves physiological changes contributing to frailty, defined as reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability. Frailty correlates with increased perioperative complications like delirium and acute pain. The FRAIL scale (Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, Loss of Weight) is a simple tool for frailty assessment.
Material and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective, single-center study was conducted at General Hospital of Zone No. 20, Puebla, Mexico. A total of 363 patients, male and female, aged 60 years or older, who underwent surgical-anesthetic procedures were included. Data, including age, sex, FRAIL scale, immediate postoperative complications (<72 hours), anesthesia type, and ASA classification, were collected. Patients with ASA IV/V, benzodiazepine/opioid treatment, or dementia/Alzheimer's were excluded. SPSS version 25 was used for analysis, employing descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-squared test (p<0.05).
Results: The median age of the 363 patients was 69 years (IQR 8), with 60.88% being female. FRAIL scale assessment revealed 58.4% pre-frail, 28.1% robust, and 13.5% frail. Neuraxial blockade was the most common anesthetic (78.5%). Among patients with complications, acute pain was most frequent (21.76%), followed by delirium (5.51%), and respiratory complications (0.826%). A statistically significant association was found between immediate postoperative complications and the FRAIL scale (Pearson x2=109.97, p<0.001). For frail patients, acute pain was the primary complication (23 patients), followed by delirium (12 patients).
Conclusion: There is a significant association between the FRAIL scale and immediate postoperative complications in geriatric surgical patients at HGZ 20. Acute pain is the most frequent immediate postsurgical complication, followed by delirium.