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PubMed · 10767881

Delirium.

B A Murphy
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Abstract

Delirium is a true medical emergency that can masquerade as chronic dementia or functional psychosis and obscure the causative underlying physical or toxic disorder. In most cases, a well-focused history and thorough physical examination can unmask the delirium and reveal the medical or toxic problem. Carefully selected diagnostic testing can be required. Emergency management of the medical or toxic disorder is the same as in nondelirious patients. Control of agitated or aggressive behavior with pharmacologic or physical restraints and special support measures are required to facilitate ED care. Delirious patients whose symptoms do not totally resolve in the ED must be admitted.

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DeliriumDiagnosis, DifferentialEmergenciesHumansRisk FactorsJournal ArticleReview

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BibTeXRIS

B A Murphy. 2000. Delirium.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0733-8627(05)70121-8

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PubMed2006

Incidence, risk factors and consequences of ICU delirium.

OBJECTIVE: Delirium in the critically ill is reported in 11-80% of patients. We estimated the incidence of delirium using a validated scale in a large cohort of ICU patients and determined the associated risk factors and outcomes. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study in a 16-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU). PATIENTS: 820 consecutive patients admitted to ICU for more than 24 h. INTERVENTIONS: Tools used were: the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist for delirium, Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale for sedation, and Numerical Rating Scale for pain. Risk factors were evaluated with univariate and multivariate analysis, and factors influencing mortality were determined using Cox regression. RESULTS: Delirium occurred in 31.8% of 764 patients. Risk of delirium was independently associated with a history of hypertension (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.3-2.6), alcoholism (2.03, 1.2-3.2), and severity of illness (1.25, 1.03-1.07 per 5-point increment in APACHE II score) but not with age or corticosteroid use. Sedatives and analgesics increased the risk of delirium when used to induce coma (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.5-6.8), and not otherwise. Delirium was linked to longer ICU stay (11.5+/-11.5 vs. 4.4+/-3.9 days), longer hospital stay (18.2+/-15.7 vs. 13.2+/-19.4 days), higher ICU mortality (19.7% vs. 10.3%), and higher hospital mortality (26.7% vs. 21.4%). CONCLUSION: Delirium is associated with a history of hypertension and alcoholism, higher APACHE II score, and with clinical effects of sedative and analgesic drugs.

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