An 82-year-old female undergoes an elective total knee arthroplasty. On post-operative day 2, she becomes acutely disoriented, pulling at her IV lines and hallucinating, which was not present pre-operatively. Her vital signs are stable, and labs are within normal limits. What is the most appropriate initial management strategy?

The correct answer to the question "An 82-year-old female undergoes an elective total knee arthroplasty. On post-operative day 2, she becomes acutely disoriented, pulling at her IV lines and hallucinating, which was not present pre-operatively. Her vital signs are stable, and labs are within normal limits. What is the most appropriate initial management strategy?" is Option C: Reorient the patient, mobilize early, and ensure adequate pain control and sleep..

The other options — A) Order a head CT scan to rule out stroke., B) Administer haloperidol intravenously., D) Initiate a benzodiazepine taper. — are incorrect for this USMLE Exam Prep question. As explained above: Post-operative delirium is common in elderly patients. The initial management should focus on non-pharmacologic interventions, including reorientation, early mobilization, ensuring adequate pain cont…