Below is a series of questions that providers need to ask their patients prior to surgery. M.E.D.I.A. refers to Memory, Episode, Drugs, Items and Aids.
(A positive response to items 1 through 3 (M.E.D.) indicate risk for adverse cognitive outcomes and should trigger a preoperative cognitive evaluation, while items 4 and 5 (I.A.) are designed to reduce delirium.)
1. Memory
Have you ever had a problem with your Memory or thinking ability after hospitalization or surgery before?
2. Episode
Have you ever had an Episode of confusion, or imagining things that were not real?
3. Drugs
Are you taking Drugs to help your thinking or memory such as Namenda (memantine) or Aricept (donepezil)?
4. Items
Are there personal Items, such as photos or a favorite music CD, that you can bring to remind you of home and family?
5. Aids
Do you have Aids, such as eyeglasses, hearing aids or dentures that you can bring to help you reorient after surgery?
