Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Delirium
Kinds of Delirium Terms modified by Delirium Selected AbstractsAN UNEXPECTED CAUSE OF DELIRIUM IN AN OLD PATIENTJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2005Juan Marti MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Delirium: Acute Confusional States in Palliative MedicineEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 2 2005KAREN QUINN No abstract is available for this article. [source] Early detection and prevention of delirium in older patients with cancerEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 5 2004K. MILISEN phd, rn 1 Delirium poses a common and multifactorial complication in older patients with cancer. Delirium independently contributes to poorer clinical outcomes and impedes communication between patients with cancer, their family and health care providers. Because of its clinical impact and potential reversibility, efforts for prevention, early recognition or prompt treatment are critical. However, nurses and other health care providers often fail to recognize delirium or misattribute its symptoms to dementia, depression or old age. Yet, failure to determine an individual's risk for delirium can initiate the cascade of negative events causing additional distress for patients, family and health care providers alike. Therefore, parameters for determining an individual's risk for delirium and guidelines for the routine and systematic assessment of cognitive functioning are provided to form a basis for the prompt and accurate diagnosis of delirium. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of delirium are also discussed. [source] Delirium in hip fracture patientsACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 6 2010R. GRIFFITHS No abstract is available for this article. [source] Serum S100B in elderly patients with and without deliriumINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2010Barbara C. van Munster Abstract Objective Elevation of S100B has been shown after various neurologic diseases with cognitive dysfunction. The aim of this study was to compare the serum level of S100B of patients with and without delirium and investigate the possible associations with different subtypes of delirium. Methods Acutely admitted medical patients aged 65 years or more were included from 2005 through 2008. Delirium was diagnosed by Confusion Assessment Method, delirium subtype by Delirium Symptom Interview and preexistent global cognitive function by the ,Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline-short form'. S100B levels were determined in serum by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results Samples of 412 patients were included, 91 during delirium, 35 after delirium and 286 of patients without delirium. Patients with delirium (31%) were significantly older, 81.5 versus 76.6 years (p,<,0.001) and experienced significantly more often preexistent cognitive and functional impairment (p,<,0.001). S100B level differed significantly (p,=,0.004) between the three groups: median 0.07,,g/L (inter-quartile ranges: 0.05,0.14,,g/L) during delirium, 0.12,,g/L (0.05,0.29,,g/L) after delirium and 0.06,,g/L (0.03,0.10,,g/L) in patients without delirium. Combining the impact of cognitive impairment, infection and age on S100B, highest S100B was observed in the oldest patients after delirium with preexistent cognitive impaired and infection. Delirium subtype and S100B level were not significantly correlated. Conclusion Higher S100B levels were found in patients with delirium than in patients without delirium, with highest levels of S100B in samples taken after delirium. Future studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism responsible for the increase of S100B and the possible association with long term cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Delirium and older people: what are the constraints to best practice in acute care?INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OLDER PEOPLE NURSING, Issue 3 2008BHSc (Nursing), Jenny Day ADCHN, MEd (Adult Education) An Australian research team conducted a six-month acute care pilot study in a medical ward of a large hospital in New South Wales. Aim., To explore ways health practitioners might redesign their practice to include prevention, early detection and management of delirium in older people based on the best current practice. Method and design., Participatory action research (PAR) was selected as the best approach for involving ward staff to make sustainable clinical practice decisions. The PAR group comprised research academics and eight clinicians from the ward. Thirteen PAR sessions were held over 5 months. Clinicians described care of patients with delirium. Stories were analysed to identify constraints to best practice. Following PAR group debate about concerns and issues, there were actions toward improved practice taken by clinicians. Relevance to clinical practice., The following constraints to best practice were identified: delayed transfer of patients from the Emergency Department; routine ward activities were not conducive to provision of rest and sleep; assisting with the patient's orientation was not possible as relatives were not able to accompany and/or stay with the older patient. Underreporting of delirium and attributing confusion to dementia was viewed as an education deficit across disciplines. A wide range of assessment skills was identified as prerequisites for working in this acute care ward, with older people and delirium. Clinicians perceived that management driven by length of a patient's stay was incongruent with best practice delirium care which required more time for older patients to recover from delirium. Two significant actions towards practice improvement were undertaken by this PAR group: (i) development of a draft delirium alert prevention protocol and (ii) a separate section of the ward became a dedicated space for the care of patients with delirium. A larger study is being planned across a variety of settings. [source] The Overlap Syndrome of Depression and Delirium in Older Hospitalized PatientsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 8 2009Jane L. Givens MD OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence, predictors, and posthospitalization outcomes associated with the overlap syndrome of coexisting depression and incident delirium in older hospitalized patients. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of prospective cohort data from the control group of the Delirium Prevention Trial. SETTING: General medical service of an academic medical center. Follow-up interviews at 1 month and 1 year post-hospital discharge. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred fifty-nine patients aged 70 and older who were not delirious at hospital admission. MEASUREMENTS: Depressive symptoms assessed at hospital admission using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (cutoff score of 6 used to define depression), daily assessments of incident delirium from admission to discharge using the Confusion Assessment Method, activities of daily living at admission and 1 month postdischarge, and new nursing home placement and mortality determined at 1 year. RESULTS: Of 459 participants, 23 (5.0%) had the overlap syndrome, 39 (8.5%) delirium alone, 121 (26.3%) depression alone, and 276 (60.1%) neither condition. In adjusted analysis, patients with the overlap syndrome had higher odds of new nursing home placement or death at 1 year (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=5.38, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.57,18.38) and 1-month functional decline (AOR=3.30, 95% CI=1.14,9.56) than patients with neither condition. CONCLUSION: The overlap syndrome of depression and delirium is associated with significant risk of functional decline, institutionalization, and death. Efforts to identify, prevent, and treat this condition may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes in older hospitalized patients. [source] Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of the Cognitive Effect, Safety, and Tolerability of Oral Extended-Release Oxybutynin in Cognitively Impaired Nursing Home Residents with Urge Urinary IncontinenceJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2008Thomas E. Lackner PharmD OBJECTIVES: Determine the cognitive effect, safety, and tolerability of oral extended-release oxybutynin in cognitively impaired older nursing home residents with urge urinary incontinence. DESIGN: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Twelve skilled nursing homes. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty women aged 65 and older with urge incontinence and cognitive impairment. INTERVENTION: Four-week treatment with once-daily oral extended-release oxybutynin 5 mg or placebo. MEASUREMENTS: Withdrawal rates and delirium or change in cognition from baseline at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after starting treatment using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Severe Impairment Battery (SIB). The Brief Agitation Rating Scale, adverse events, falls incidence, and serum anticholinergic activity change with treatment were also assessed. RESULTS: Participants' mean age ±standard deviation was 88.6±6.2, and MMSE baseline score was 14.5±4.3. Ninety-six percent of subjects receiving oxybutynin (n=26) and 92% receiving placebo (n=24) completed treatment (P=.50). The differences in mean change in CAM score from baseline to all time points were equivalent between the oxybutynin and placebo groups. Delirium did not occur in either group. One participant receiving oxybutynin was withdrawn because of urinary retention, which resolved without treatment. Mild adverse events occurred in 38.5% of participants receiving oxybutynin and 37.5% receiving placebo (P=.94). CONCLUSION: Short-term treatment using oral extended-release oxybutynin 5 mg once daily was safe and well tolerated, with no delirium, in older female nursing home participants with mild to severe dementia. Future research should investigate different dosages and long-term treatment. [source] Detection of Delirium by Bedside Nurses Using the Confusion Assessment MethodJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2006Joke Lemiengre RN A prospective, descriptive study was used to assess the diagnostic validity of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) administered at the bedside by nurses in daily practice. Two different scoring methods of the CAM (the specific (SPEC) and sensitive (SENS) methods) were compared with a criterion standard (CAM completed by trained research nurses). During a 5-month period, all patients consecutively admitted to an acute geriatric ward of the University Hospitals of Leuven (Belgium) were enrolled in the study. The 258 elderly inpatients who were included underwent 641 paired but independent ratings of delirium by bedside and trained research nurses. Delirium was identified in 36 of the 258 patients (14%) or in 42 of the 641 paired observations (6.5%). The SENS method of the CAM algorithm as administered by bedside nurses had the greatest diagnostic accuracy, with 66.7% sensitivity and 90.7% specificity; the SPEC method had 23.8% sensitivity and 97.7% specificity. Bedside nurses had difficulties recognizing the features of acute onset, fluctuation, and altered level of consciousness. For both scoring methods, bedside nurses had difficulties with the identification of elderly patients with delirium but succeeded in diagnosing correctly those patients without delirium in more than 90% of observations. Given these results, additional education about delirium with special attention to guided training of bedside nurses in the use of an assessment strategy such as the CAM for the recognition of delirium symptoms is warranted. [source] Haloperidol Prophylaxis for Elderly Hip-Surgery Patients at Risk for Delirium: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled StudyJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 10 2005Kees J. Kalisvaart MD Objectives: To study the effectiveness of haloperidol prophylaxis on incidence, severity, and duration of postoperative delirium in elderly hip-surgery patients at risk for delirium. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Large medical school,affiliated general hospital in Alkmaar, the Netherlands. Participants: A total of 430 hip-surgery patients aged 70 and older at risk for postoperative delirium. Intervention: Haloperidol 1.5 mg/d or placebo was started preoperatively and continued for up to 3 days postoperatively. Proactive geriatric consultation was provided for all randomized patients. Measurements: The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative delirium (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, and Confusion Assessment Method criteria). Secondary outcomes were the severity of delirium (Delirium Rating Scale, revised version-98 (DRS-R-98)), the duration of delirium, and the length of hospital stay. Results: The overall incidence of postoperative delirium was 15.8%. The percentage of patients with postoperative delirium in the haloperidol and placebo treatment condition was 15.1% and 16.5%, respectively (relative risk=0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.6,1.3); the mean highest DRS-R-98 score±standard deviation was 14.4±3.4 and 18.4±4.3, respectively (mean difference 4.0, 95% CI=2.0,5.8; P<.001); delirium duration was 5.4 versus 11.8 days, respectively (mean difference 6.4 days, 95% CI=4.0,8.0; P<.001); and the mean number of days in the hospital was 17.1±11.1 and 22.6±16.7, respectively (mean difference 5.5 days, 95% CI=1.4,2.3; P<.001). No haloperidol-related side effects were noted. Conclusion: Low-dose haloperidol prophylactic treatment demonstrated no efficacy in reducing the incidence of postoperative delirium. It did have a positive effect on the severity and duration of delirium. Moreover, haloperidol reduced the number of days patients stayed in the hospital, and the therapy was well tolerated. [source] A Chart-Based Method for Identification of Delirium: Validation Compared with Interviewer Ratings Using the Confusion Assessment MethodJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 2 2005Sharon K. Inouye MD Objectives: To validate a chart-based method for identification of delirium and compare it with direct interviewer assessment using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). Design: Prospective validation study. Setting: Teaching hospital. Participants: Nine hundred nineteen older hospitalized patients. Measurements: A chart-based instrument for identification of delirium was created and compared with the reference standard interviewer ratings, which used direct cognitive assessment to complete the CAM for delirium. Trained nurse chart abstractors were blinded to all interview data, including cognitive and CAM ratings. Factors influencing the correct identification of delirium in the chart were examined. Results: Delirium was present in 115 (12.5%) patients according to the CAM. Sensitivity of the chart-based instrument was 74%, specificity was 83%, and likelihood ratio for a positive result was 4.4. Overall agreement between chart and interviewer ratings was 82%, kappa=0.41. By contrast, using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, administrative codes, the sensitivity for delirium was 3%, and specificity was 99%. Independent factors associated with incorrect chart identification of delirium were dementia, severe illness, and high baseline delirium risk. With all three factors present, the chart instrument was three times more likely to identify patients incorrectly than with none of the factors present. Conclusion: A chart-based instrument for delirium, which should be useful for patient safety and quality-improvement programs in older persons, was validated. Because of potential misclassification, the chart-based instrument is not recommended for individual patient care or diagnostic purposes. [source] Low Muscle Mass of the Thigh is Significantly Correlated with Delirium and Worse Functional Outcome in Older Medical PatientsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 7 2002Wolfram Weinrebe MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Delirium Severity and Psychomotor Types: Their Relationship with Outcomes after Hip Fracture RepairJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2002Edward Marcantonio MD OBJECTIVES: To validate the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) as a measure of delirium severity in a cohort of patients aged 65 and older; to examine the association between severity of delirium and patient outcomes; and to examine the association between psychomotor variants of delirium and each of those outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective assessment of sample. SETTING: Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred twenty-two older patients (mean age ± standard deviation = 79 ± 8) who had undergone acute hip fracture surgery. MEASUREMENTS: We used standardized instruments to assess prefracture activities of daily living (ADLs), ambulatory status, cognition, and living situation. Postoperatively, each patient was interviewed daily. Delirium was diagnosed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), and delirium severity was measured using the MDAS. The MDAS was also used to categorize the psychomotor types of delirium into "purely hypoactive" or "any hyperactivity." Telephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted at 1 and 6 months to assess survival, ADL function, ambulatory status, and living situation. RESULTS: Of 122 patients, 40% developed CAM-defined delirium. Delirious patients had higher average MDAS scores than nondelirious patients (11.7 vs 2.4, P <.0001). We used the median of the average MDAS score to classify patients into mild or severe delirium. Severe delirium was generally associated with worse outcomes than was mild delirium, and the associations reached statistical significance for nursing home placement or death at 6 months (52% vs 17%, P = .009). Additionally, patients who did not meet full CAM criteria for delirium experienced worse outcomes if they had some symptoms of delirium than if they had no or few symptoms (nursing home placement or death at 6 months: 27% vs 0%, P = .001). Surprisingly, these patients with subsyndromal delirium who did not fulfill CAM criteria for delirium but demonstrated significant delirium symptoms, had outcomes similar to or worse than those with mild CAM-defined delirium. Pure hypoactive delirium accounted for 71% (34/48) of cases and was less severe than was delirium with any hyperactivity (average MDAS score 10.6 vs 14.8, P = .007). In our cohort, patients with pure hypoactive delirium had better outcomes than did those with any hyperactivity (nursing home placement or death at 1 month: 32% vs 79%, P = .003); this difference persisted after adjusting for severity. CONCLUSION: In this study of delirium in older hip fracture patients, the MDAS, a continuous severity measure, was a useful adjunct to the CAM, a dichotomous diagnostic measure. In patients with CAM-defined delirium, severe delirium was generally associated with worse outcomes than was mild delirium. In patients who did not fulfill CAM criteria, subsyndromal delirium was associated with worse outcomes than having few or no symptoms of delirium. Patients with subsyndromal delirium had outcomes similar to patients with mild delirium, suggesting that a dichotomous approach to diagnosis and management may be inappropriate. Pure hypoactive delirium was more common than delirium with any hyperactive features, tended to be milder, and was associated with better outcomes even after adjusting for severity. Future studies should confirm our preliminary associations and examine whether treatment to reduce the severity of delirium symptoms can improve outcomes after hip fracture repair. [source] Reducing Delirium After Hip FractureJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2002James R. Webster Jr. MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Delirium After Hip Fracture: To Be or Not to Be?JOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2001Sharon K. Inouye MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Hypocortisolemia and Delirium in an Older PatientJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 5 2001Ulisses G. V. Cunha No abstract is available for this article. [source] Sleep Apnea, Delirium, Depressed Mood, Cognition, and ADL Ability After StrokeJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2001Olov Sandberg MD OBJECTIVES: The incidence of sleep apnea and stroke increases with age. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of sleep apnea after stroke and its relationship to delirium, depressed mood, cognitive functioning, ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), and psychiatric and behavior symptoms. DESIGN:Cross-sectional study. SETTING:Geriatric stroke rehabilitation unit. PARTICIPANTS:133 patients (78 women and 55 men, mean age 77.1 ± 7.7 years) consecutively admitted to a geriatric stroke rehabilitation unit. MEASUREMENTS: All patients underwent overnight respiratory sleep recordings at 23 ± 7 days (range 11 to 41 days) after suffering a stroke. The patients were assessed using the Organic Brain Syndrome Scale, Montgomery-Åsberg-Depression-Rating Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Barthel-ADL Index. Sleep apnea was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 10 or more. RESULTS: The median of the AHI for the studied sample (N = 133) was 13 (range 0,79; interquartile range 6,28). Fifty-nine percent fulfilled the criteria for sleep apnea; 52% with first-ever stroke had sleep apnea. More patients with sleep apnea than without were delirious, depressed, or more ADL-dependent. Sleep apnea patients also had a higher frequency of ischemic heart disease and had more often suffered from an earlier cerebral infarction. Multivariate analysis showed that obesity, low ADL scores, ischemic heart disease, and depressed mood were independently associated with sleep apnea. Low ADL scores, apnea-related hypoxemia, body mass index ,27, and impaired vision were independently associated with delirium. The presence of sleep apnea was not associated with any specific type of stroke or location of the brain lesion. CONCLUSIONS:Sleep apnea is common in stroke patients and is associated with delirium, depressed mood, latency in reaction and in response to verbal stimuli, and impaired ADL ability. We suggest a trial investigating whether delirium, depressed mood, and ADL ability improve with nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment of sleep apnea in stroke patients. [source] Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting as Subacute Delirium in an 82-Year-Old WomanJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 4 2001George A. Heckman MD OBJECTIVES: To describe an older patient with delirium attributed to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to review the literature on neuropsychiatric manifestations of SLE in older people. DESIGN: Case report and literature review. MEDLINE search using terms systemic lupus erythematosus, neurologic, psychiatric, neuropsychiatric, autoantibodies (antinuclear antibody (ANA), antiphospholipid, anticardiolipin, anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA), anti-Smith), and elderly. Additional articles obtained from hand-searched references and through experts. SETTING: Hospital (case report). PARTICIPANTS: Case report and literature cases. MEASUREMENTS: None. RESULTS: SLE is increasingly diagnosed in older adults. Onset is insidious and diagnosis is delayed because of a different clinical spectrum and immunological profile than in younger adults. Autoantibodies have an important role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric manifestations, while vasculitis is less common. Aggressive immunosuppressive therapy is typically indicated, although recent case reports suggest that lower doses may suffice. The American College of Rheumatology 1982 revised criteria may be inadequate to diagnose neuropsychiatric lupus in older persons. CONCLUSION: Neuropsychiatric symptoms can be prominent in older people, presenting features of SLE. This case illustrates the lowest dose of corticosteroids shown to be effective in an older patient with delirium due to SLE. [source] Prevalence of vision, hearing, and combined vision and hearing impairments in patients with hip fracturesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 21 2009Else Vengnes Grue Aims and objectives., To examine the prevalence of hearing and vision impairments in 65+ year-old patients with hip fractures. Background., Many older people believe sensory problems are inevitable and thus avoid medical assessment and assistance. Furthermore, health professionals often overlook sensory problems, though it is known that sensory impairments can increase the risk of falling and sustaining hip fractures. Design., A prospective, observational study. Methods., We admitted 544 consecutive patients to an orthogeriatric ward from October 2004,July 2006; 332 were screened for study inclusion with the Resident Assessment Instrument for Acute Care (InterRAI-AC) and a questionnaire (KAS-Screen). We conducted patient interviews, objective assessments, explored hospital records and interviewed the family and staff. Impairments were defined as problems with seeing, reading regular print or hearing normal speech. Results., Sixteen per cent of the patients had no sensory impairments, 15·4% had vision impairments, 38·6% had hearing impairments and 30·1% had combined sensory impairments. Among the impaired, 80·6% were female, the mean age was 84·3 years (SD 6·8), 79·9% were living alone, 48·0% had cognitive impairments, 89·6% had impaired activities of daily living, 70·6% had impaired instrument activities in daily living, 51·0% had bladder incontinence and 26·.8% were underweight. Comorbidity and polypharmacy were common. Delirium was detected in 17·9% on day three after surgery. Results showed the prevalence of combined sensory impairments was: 32·8% none; 52·2% moderate/severe; and 15·1% severe. Conclusion., Patients with hip fractures frequently have hearing, vision and combined impairments. Relevance to clinical practice., We recommend routine screening for sensory impairments in patients with hip fractures. Most sensory problems can be treated or relieved with environmental adjustments. Patients should be encouraged to seek treatment and training for adapting to sensory deficiencies. This approach may reduce the number of falls and improve the ability to sustain independent living. [source] Patients' experiences of being deliriousJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2007Gill Sörensen Duppils PhD Aim., The aim was to describe patients' experiences of being delirious. Background., Delirium is a serious psychiatric disorder that is frequently reported from hospital care settings, particularly among older patients undergoing hip surgery. It involves disturbances of consciousness and changes in cognition, a state which develops over a short period of time and tends to fluctuate during the course of the day. It is a certified fact that delirium is poorly diagnosed and recognized although the state often is described as terrifying. To be able to give professional care, it is of the utmost importance to know more about patients' experience of delirium. Method., Included in the interviews were patients who had undergone hip-related surgery and during the hospital stay experienced delirium. Fifteen patients participated in the interviews. Of these, six had experienced episodes of nightly delirium (sundown syndrome) and nine experienced delirium during at least one day. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Results., The entry of delirium was experienced as a sudden change of reality that, in some cases, could be connected to basic unfulfilled physiological needs. The delirium experiences were like dramatic scenes that gave rise to strong emotional feelings of fear, panic and anger. The experiences were also characterized by opposite pairs; they took place in the hospital but at the same time somewhere else; it was like dreaming but still being awake. The exit from the delirium was associated with disparate feelings. Relevance to clinical practice., It is necessary to understand patients' thoughts and experiences during the delirious phase to be able to give professional care, both during the delirium phase and after the recovery. [source] Factors associated with delirium severity among older patientsJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 5 2007Philippe Voyer PhD Aim., The goal of this study was to determine whether the factors associated with delirium varied according to the severity of the delirium experienced by the older patients. Background., Delirium among older patients is prevalent and leads to numerous detrimental effects. The negative consequences of delirium are worse among older adults with severe delirium compared with patients with mild delirium. There has been no study identifying those factors associated with delirium severity among long-term care older patients newly admitted to an acute care hospital. Design., This is a descriptive study. Methods., This is a secondary analysis study of institutionalized older patients newly admitted to an acute care hospital (n = 104). Upon admission, patients were screened for delirium with the Confusion Assessment Method and severity of delirium symptoms were determined by using the Delirium Index. Results., Of the 71 delirious older patients, 32 (45·1%) had moderate-severe delirium while 39 (54·9%) presented mild delirium. In univariate analyses, a significant positive relationship was observed between the level of prior cognitive impairment and the severity of delirium (p = 0·0058). Low mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores (p < 0·0001), the presence of severe illness at the time of hospitalization (p = 0·0016) and low functional autonomy (BI: p = 0·0017; instrumental activities of daily living: p = 0·0003) were significantly associated with moderate-severe delirium. Older patients suffering from mild delirium used significantly more drugs (p = 0·0056), notably narcotics (p = 0·0017), than those with moderate-severe delirium. Results from the stepwise regression indicated that MMSE score at admission and narcotic medication use are the factors most strongly associated with the severity of delirium symptoms. Conclusions., This present study indicates that factors associated with moderate-severe delirium are different from those associated with mild delirium. Given the result concerning the role of narcotics, future studies should evaluate the role of pain management in the context of delirium severity. Relevance to Clinical Practice., As moderate-severe delirium is associated with poorer outcomes than is mild delirium, early risk factor identification for moderate-severe delirium by nurses may prove to be of value in preventing further deterioration of those older patients afflicted with delirium. [source] Early recognition of delirium: review of the literatureJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2001Marieke J. Schuurmans PhD ,,This review focuses on delirium and early recognition of symptoms by nurses. ,,Delirium is a transient organic mental syndrome characterized by disturbances in consciousness, thinking and memory. The incidence in older hospitalized patients is about 25%. ,,The causes of delirium are multi-factorial; risk factors include high age, cognitive impairment and severity of illness. ,,The consequences of delirium include high morbidity and mortality, lengthened hospital stay and nursing home placement. ,,Delirium develops in a short period and symptoms fluctuate, therefore nurses are in a key position to recognize symptoms. ,,Delirium is often overlooked or misdiagnosed due to lack of knowledge and awareness in nurses and doctors. To improve early recognition of delirium, emphasis should be given to terminology, vision and knowledge regarding health in ageing and delirium as a potential medical emergency, and to instruments for systematic screening of symptoms. [source] Post-induction alfentanil reduces sevoflurane-associated emergence agitation in children undergoing an adenotonsillectomyACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 5 2009J. Y. KIM Background: Emergence agitation is a common problem in paediatric anaesthesia, especially after volatile induction and maintenance anaesthesia (VIMA) with sevoflurane. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of alfentanil to prevent emergence agitation without delayed recovery after VIMA with sevoflurane in children undergoing an adenotonsillectomy. Methods: One hundred and five children, aged 3,10 years, were randomly allocated to receive normal saline (control group), alfentanil 10 ,g/kg (A10) or 20 ,g/kg (A20) 1 min after loss of the eyelash reflex. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained with sevoflurane. Time to tracheal extubation, recovery time, Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale and emergence behaviour were assessed. Results: The incidence of severe agitation was significantly lower in the A10 and A20 groups compared with those in the control group (11/32 and 12/34 vs. 24/34, respectively) (P=0.007, 0.006, respectively). PAED scales were significantly different between the three groups (P=0.008), and lower in the A10 and A20 groups than that in the control group (P=0.044, 0.013, respectively). However, the incidence of severe agitation and PAED scale was not different between the A10 and the A20 groups. Time to tracheal extubation and recovery time were similar in all three groups. Conclusion: The administration of alfentanil 10 ,g/kg after induction of anaesthesia for children undergoing an adenotonsillectomy under VIMA reduced the incidence of emergence agitation without delaying the recovery time or causing significant hypotension. [source] Delirium due to Brain Microembolism: Diagnostic Value of Diffusion-Weighted MRIJOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING, Issue 2 2007Pablo Irimia MD ABSTRACT Delirum is a common complication in hospitalized patients and it is characterized by acute disturbances of consciousness, attention, cognition, and perception. Despite the frequency with which it is observed, ischemic stroke is generally considered as an unusual cause of delirium. A subtype of brain embolism is characterized by multiple small emboli in different vascular territories, a condition known as "brain microembolism." Given the high contrast of acute ischemic lesions in diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) this technique is particularly helpful to detect these small infarctions. We present here a patient with pulmonary metastases who was treated with bronchial artery embolization and who subsequently developed delirium due to brain microembolism. The embolic material crossed through pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas, producing multiple areas of cerebral ischemia. The ischemic lesions could be visualized only on DWI, and they affected the periventricular region, caudate nucleus, thalamus, and cerebellum. [source] Atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of deliriumPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 5 2009Vaios Peritogiannis md Delirium is common in all medical settings. Atypical antipsychotics are increasingly used for the management of delirium symptomatology but their effectiveness has not been systematically studied. The aim of the present study was therefore to provide an up-to-date review on the use of atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of delirium. A search was conducted of the databases of MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE from 1997 to 2008 for English-language articles using the key words ,delirium' and the names of all the atypical antipsychotics. A total of 23 studies were used for this review. Fifteen of the studies were single-agent trials. Four studies were comparison trials, including one double-blind trial, and four studies were retrospective, including three comparison studies. All studies reported improvement of delirium symptomatology after the administration of atypical antipsychotics. No study included a placebo group. Other limitations included sample heterogeneity, small sample size, different rating scales for delirium, and lack of adequate controls. The improvement in delirium was observed within a few days after treatment initiation and the doses given were relatively low. Atypical antipsychotics were well tolerated, but safety was not evaluated systematically. Atypical antipsychotics appear to be effective and safe in symptomatic treatment of delirium but the evidence is limited and inconclusive. There are no double-blind, placebo-controlled studies assessing the efficacy and safety of these agents in delirium. Further research is needed with well-designed studies. [source] Efficacy of risperidone in the treatment of delirium in elderly patientsPSYCHOGERIATRICS, Issue 2 2008Koji IKEZAWA Abstract Background:, Despite increasing recognition of delirium as a serious complication of physical illness, little has been reported in this area. Interest has been raised in treatment options other than haloperidol, such as atypical antipsychotic agents. Methods:, A 2-week open-label trial of risperidone for the treatment of delirium was conducted to assess the efficacy and tolerance of this medication in elderly patients. Twenty-two patients with DSM-IV-defined delirium were investigated. All patients had the hyperactive,hyperalert variant of delirium. Patients received a fixed dose of risperidone (mean 1.5 ± 0.7 mg; range 0.5,3 mg). Delirium was assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) at baseline and on Days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 after the initiation of risperidone treatment. Clinical and demographic data, as well as risperidone therapy related information, were collected. Results:, Delirium resolved in all patients over the course of treatment. The mean period over which delirium resolved was 4.0 ± 2.9 days. The mean DRS score at baseline was 20.7 ± 3.0. The DRS score improved from baseline to Day 1 of treatment and continued to improve until the study end-point. Mild side-effects were present in 27.3% of patients. Stepwise logistic regression identified a decrease of 2 points or higher on the DRS on Day 1 associated with side-effects. There were no significant differences in the response to treatment with the different doses of risperidone used. Conclusion:, Our findings indicate that low-dose risperidone (0.5,3.0 mg/day) is effective and safe for the treatment of delirium in elderly patients, and that an early response on Day 1 of treatment may be associated with side-effects in these patients. [source] Predicting post-operative delirium in elderly patients undergoing surgery for hip fracturePSYCHOGERIATRICS, Issue 2 2006Gregory GOLDENBERG Abstract Background:, Delirium in elderly patients with hip fracture has a significant negative influence on the disease course. Awareness of risk factors for postoperative delirium (POD) may lead to the development of effective preventive strategies. The aims of this study were: to find patients' features that are predictors of POD, and; to develop a model predicting the risk for POD. Patients and methods:, Seventy-seven elderly patients (81.9 years of age, SD 7.5 years) were non-delirious prior to surgery and enrolled in the study. Delirium was diagnosed by Confusion Assessment Method and Algorrhithm. Patients' characteristics as potential predictors of POD were analyzed by logistic regression analysis on SAS software. Results:, Postoperative delirium was diagnosed in 37 patients. Use of multiple (>3) medications, lower scores on cognitive tests (<20 on Set Test and <24 on Mini-mental Status Exam), albumin level less than 3.5 g/dL, hematocrit level less than 33% and age over 81 years were predictors of POD. A logistic regression formula including these predictors weighed by their parameter estimates can be used to calculate the probability of POD. The model had a good fit and a good predictive power. A Delirium Predicting Scale was derived based on parameter estimates of these predictors. Patients can be classified as low-, intermediate- or high-risk for POD. Conclusions:, A logistic regression model, which includes patients' age, medication history, cognitive performance measured by Set Test and Mini-Mental Status Exam, albumin and hematocrit levels, can be used to predict risk for POD after surgical repair of fractured hip in elderly patients. [source] Delirium after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and late mortalityANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2010Rebecca F. Gottesman MD Objective Delirium is common after cardiac surgery, although under-recognized, and its long-term consequences are likely underestimated. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether patients with delirium after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery have higher long-term out-of-hospital mortality when compared with CABG patients without delirium. Methods We studied 5,034 consecutive patients undergoing CABG surgery at a single institution from 1997 to 2007. Presence or absence of neurologic complications, including delirium, was assessed prospectively. Survival analysis was performed to determine the role of delirium in the hazard of death, including a propensity score to adjust for potential confounders. These analyses were repeated to determine the association between postoperative stroke and long-term mortality. Results Individuals with delirium had an increased hazard of death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38,1.97) up to 10 years postoperatively, after adjustment for perioperative and vascular risk factors. Patients with postoperative stroke had a HR of 2.34 (95% CI, 1.87,2.92). The effect of delirium on subsequent mortality was the strongest among those without a prior stroke (HR 1.83 vs HR 1.11 [with a prior stroke] [p -interaction = 0.02]) or who were younger (HR 2.42 [<65 years old] vs HR 1.49 [,65 years old] [p -interaction = 0.04]). Interpretation Delirium after cardiac surgery is a strong independent predictor of mortality up to 10 years postoperatively, especially in younger individuals and in those without prior stroke. Future studies are needed to determine the impact of delirium prevention and/or treatment in long-term patient mortality. ANN NEUROL 2010;67:338,344 [source] Delirium in Older Emergency Department Patients: Recognition, Risk Factors, and Psychomotor SubtypesACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2009Jin H. Han MD Abstract Objectives:, Missing delirium in the emergency department (ED) has been described as a medical error, yet this diagnosis is frequently unrecognized by emergency physicians (EPs). Identifying a subset of patients at high risk for delirium may improve delirium screening compliance by EPs. The authors sought to determine how often delirium is missed in the ED and how often these missed cases are detected by admitting hospital physicians at the time of admission, to identify delirium risk factors in older ED patients, and to characterize delirium by psychomotor subtypes in the ED setting. Methods:, This cross-sectional study was a convenience sample of patients conducted at a tertiary care, academic ED. English-speaking patients who were 65 years and older and present in the ED for less than 12 hours at the time of enrollment were included. Patients were excluded if they refused consent, were previously enrolled, had severe dementia, were unarousable to verbal stimuli for all delirium assessments, or had incomplete data. Delirium status was determined by using the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) administered by trained research assistants (RAs). Recognition of delirium by emergency and hospital physicians was determined from the medical record, blinded to CAM-ICU status. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent delirium risk factors. The Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale was used to classify delirium by its psychomotor subtypes. Results:, Inclusion and exclusion criteria were met in 303 patients, and 25 (8.3%) presented to the ED with delirium. The vast majority (92.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 74.0% to 99.0%) of delirious patients had the hypoactive psychomotor subtype. Of the 25 patients with delirium, 19 (76.0%, 95% CI = 54.9% to 90.6%) were not recognized to be delirious by the EP. Of the 16 admitted delirious patients who were undiagnosed by the EPs, 15 (93.8%, 95% CI = 69.8% to 99.8%) remained unrecognized by the hospital physician at the time of admission. Dementia, a Katz Activities of Daily Living (ADL) , 4, and hearing impairment were independently associated with presenting with delirium in the ED. Based on the multivariable model, a delirium risk score was constructed. Dementia, Katz ADL , 4, and hearing impairment were weighed equally. Patients with higher risk scores were more likely to be CAM-ICU positive (area under the receiver operating characteristic [ROC] curve = 0.82). If older ED patients with one or more delirium risk factors were screened for delirium, 165 (54.5%, 95% CI = 48.7% to 60.2%) would have required a delirium assessment at the expense of missing 1 patient with delirium, while screening 141 patients without delirium. Conclusions:, Delirium was a common occurrence in the ED, and the vast majority of delirium in the ED was of the hypoactive subtype. EPs missed delirium in 76% of the cases. Delirium that was missed in the ED was nearly always missed by hospital physicians at the time of admission. Using a delirium risk score has the potential to improve delirium screening efficiency in the ED setting. [source] Feedback on the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Delirium in Older People in AustraliaAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 2 2009Geoff Jones No abstract is available for this article. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||