Delirium
Conditions
Brief summary
Delirium is common in older emergency department (ED) patients and often remains unrecognized. Existing instruments to detect delirium are often time consuming and therefore not feasible in the busy ED setting In this study the investigators tested the feasibility of the newly developed modified confusion assessment method (mCAM-ED).
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Study design
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* patients aged 65 or older
Exclusion criteria
* patients treated in the resuscitation room * patients transferred or discharged within 2 hours of arrival * patients with insufficient proficiency in the German language * patients with an inability to communicate (e.g. aphasic patients)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| delirium | two hours after ED admission | Delirium was assessed by research assistants using the mCAM-ED. Patients with a positive delirium diagnosis were presented to a senior emergency physician (PI) who served as the reference standard. The final delirium diagnosis was based on the DSM IV criteria |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| adherence of ED staff to mCAM-ED algorithm | At patient discharge or transfer from ED (average 4 hours after presentation) | Adherence was achieved when the mCAM-ED result was documented by the ED nurses. |
Countries
Switzerland
Outcome results
None listed