Fifty consecutive patients (35 male, 15 female) with postoperative delirium after cardiac surgery were treated in a prospective study by neuroleptic Tiapridal (tiaprid). 27 patients (54 %) were operated on in extracorporeal circulation, 23 patients (46 %) on a beating heart. 30 patients (60 %) had signs of cerebral atherosclerosis prior to the operation. At the beginning Tiapridal was administered intravenously with the consecutive switch to oral administration in the dose of 100–1600 mg/day. The delirium occured mostly on the second postoperative day. In 72 % of the patients the delirium disappeared within 3 days of the treatment, no patient had to be treated for more than 6 days. The side effects were encountered in 2 patients (4 %) at the dose of 800 and 1000 mg (somnolence, hypomimics of the face); they quickly disappeared after the reduction of the infusion rate. In our study Tiapridal has proved useful in the treatment of delirium after cardiac surgery; it is very effective, has minimum side effects and its administration is user-friendly.

        Key words: delirium-cardiac surgery – neuroleptics