Assessment of inattention in the context of delirium screening: one size does not fit all!

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1293-1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Voyer ◽  
Nathalie Champoux ◽  
Johanne Desrosiers ◽  
Philippe Landreville ◽  
Johanne Monette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Confusion Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Entire Group ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Term Care ◽  
High Prevalence

ABSTRACTBackground:Despite its high prevalence and deleterious consequences, delirium often goes undetected in older hospitalized patients and long-term care (LTC) residents. Inattention is a core symptom of this syndrome. The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of ten simple and objective attention tests that would enable efficient delirium screening among this population.Methods:This was a secondary analysis (n = 191) of a validation study conducted in one acute care hospital (ACH) and one LTC facility among older adults with, or without, cognitive impairment. The attention test tasks (n = 10) were drawn from the Concentration subscale the Hierarchic Dementia Scale (HDS). Delirium was defined as meeting the criteria for DSM-5 delirium. The Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) was used to determine the presence of delirium symptoms.Results:The Months of the Year Backward (MOTYB) test, which 57% of participants completed successfully, showed the best balance between sensitivity and specificity (82.6%; 95% CI [61.2–95.0], and 62.5%; 95% CI [54.7–69.8] respectively) for the entire group. Subgroup analyses revealed that no test had both sensitivity and specificity over 50% in participants with cognitive impairment indicated in their medical chart.Conclusions:Our results revealed that these tests varied greatly in performance and none can be earmarked to become a single-item screening tool for delirium among older patients and residents with, or without, cognitive impairment. The presence of premorbid cognitive impairment may necessitate more extensive assessments of delirium, especially when a change in general status or mental state is observed.

scholarly journals Comparison of delirium detection tools in acute care

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Brefka ◽  
Gerhard Wilhelm Eschweiler ◽  
Dhayana Dallmeier ◽  
Michael Denkinger ◽  
Christoph Leinert
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Confusion Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Medline Search

Abstract Background Delirium is a frequent psychopathological syndrome in geriatric patients. It is sometimes the only symptom of acute illness and bears a high risk for complications. Therefore, feasible assessments are needed for delirium detection. Objective and methods Rapid review of available delirium assessments based on a current Medline search and cross-reference check with a special focus on those implemented in acute care hospital settings. Results A total of 75 delirium detection tools were identified. Many focused on inattention as well as acute onset and/or fluctuating course of cognitive changes as key features for delirium. A range of assessments are based on the confusion assessment method (CAM) that has been adapted for various clinical settings. The need for a collateral history, time resources and staff training are major challenges in delirium assessment. Latest tests address these through a two-step approach, such as the ultrabrief (UB) CAM or by optional assessment of temporal aspects of cognitive changes (4 As test, 4AT). Most delirium screening assessments are validated for patient interviews, some are suitable for monitoring delirium symptoms over time or diagnosing delirium based on collateral history only. Conclusion Besides the CAM the 4AT has become well-established in acute care because of its good psychometric properties and practicability. There are several other instruments extending and improving the possibilities of delirium detection in different clinical settings.

scholarly journals Cognitive and Functional Impairment of Hospitalized Patients over 65 Years of Age

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
Mª José Calero-García ◽  
Alfonso J. Cruz Lendínez
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Elderly Men ◽  
Time Of Admission ◽  
The Relationship

The first objective of this research is to establish and study how the different stages of cognitive impairment and the levels of dependence evolve in patients over 65 years of age, admitted to an acute care hospital, as well as the relationship between these factors and the different social and demographical variables. The results show that the level of dependence decreases suddenly at the time of admission and undergoes a slight recovery at the time of discharge. Although this recovery continues at home after discharge, patients do not get the same level of independence that they used to have before admission. In addition, significant differences in terms of age, marital status and education level were found. In general, our results show that elderly men over 80 years of age, without no education and widowers are more likely to suffer from severe cognitive impairment and be more functionally dependent when admitted to hospital.

scholarly journals Impact of a dementia-friendly program on detection and management of patients with cognitive impairment and delirium in acute-care hospital units: a non-equivalent control group design

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Weldingh ◽  
Marte Mellingsæter ◽  
Bendik Hegna ◽  
Jūratė Šaltytė Benth ◽  
Gunnar Einvik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Equivalent Control

Abstract Background Frail older persons with cognitive impairment (CI) are at special risk of experiencing delirium during acute hospitalisation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a dementia-friendly hospital program contributes to improved detection and management of patients with CI and risk of delirium at an acute-care hospital in Norway. Furthermore, we aimed to explore whether the program affected the prevalence of delirium, pharmacological treatment, 30-day re-hospitalisation, 30-day mortality and institutionalisation afterwards. Methods This study had a non-equivalent control group design and a historical control group. It was conducted at two different medical wards at a large acute-care hospital in Norway from September 2018 to December 2019. A total of 423 acute hospitalised patients 75 years of age or older were included in the study. Delirium screening and cognitive tests were recorded by research staff with the Four Assessment Test (4AT) and the Confusion Assessment Measure (CAM), while demographic and medical information was recorded from patient journals. Results Implementation of the dementia-friendly hospital program did not show any significant effect on the identification of patients with CI. However, the proportion of the patients with CI who received preventive measures increased by 32.2% (P < .001), compared to the control group. The share of patients screened with 4AT within 24 hours increased from 0–35.5% (P < .001). Furthermore, the number of patients with CI who were prescribed antipsychotic/hypnotic medications was reduced by 24.5% (P < .001). There were no differences in delirium, 30-day readmission or 30-day mortality. Conclusions Implementation of a model for early screening and multifactorial nonpharmacological interventions for patients with CI and delirium using quality improvement methodology may improve management of this patient group, increase staff awareness of family involvement, and reduce prescriptions of antipsychotics, hypnotics and sedatives. Trial registration: The protocol of this study was retrospectively registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System with the registration number: NCT04737733 and date of registration: 03/02/2021.

scholarly journals Communication behavior of cognitively impaired older inpatients

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (S4) ◽  
pp. 264-272
Author(s):  
Eva-Luisa Schnabel ◽  
Hans-Werner Wahl ◽  
Susanne Penger ◽  
Julia Haberstroh
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Acute Care Hospitals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Communication Behavior ◽  
Care Hospital

Abstract Background and objective Acutely ill older patients with cognitive impairment represent a major subgroup in acute care hospitals. In this context, communication plays a crucial role for patients’ well-being, healthcare decisions, and medical outcomes. As validated measures are lacking, we tested the psychometric properties of an observational instrument to assess Communication Behavior in Dementia (CODEM) in the acute care hospital setting. As a novel feature, we were also able to incorporate linguistic and social-contextual measures. Material and methods Data were drawn from a cross-sectional mixed methods study that focused on the occurrence of elderspeak during care interactions in two German acute care hospitals. A total of 43 acutely ill older patients with severe cognitive impairment (CI group, Mage ± SD = 83.6 ± 5.7 years) and 50 without cognitive impairment (CU group, Mage ± SD = 82.1 ± 6.3 years) were observed by trained research assistants during a standardized interview situation and rated afterwards by use of CODEM. Results Factor analysis supported the expected two-factor solution for the CI group, i.e., a verbal content and a nonverbal relationship aspect. Findings of the current study indicated sound psychometric properties of the CODEM instrument including internal consistency, convergent, divergent, and criterion validity. Conclusion CODEM represents a reliable and valid tool to examine the communication behavior of older patients with CI in the acute care hospital setting. Thus, CODEM might serve as an important instrument for researcher and healthcare professionals to describe and improve communication patterns in this environment.

scholarly journals 1442. Effect of Reflex Urine Culturing on Rates of Cultures and Infections in an Acute Care Hospital, Emergency Department, and Two Long-Term Care Facilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S526-S526
Author(s):  
Chelsea Lynch ◽  
Andrea Appleby-Sigler ◽  
Jacqueline Bork ◽  
Rohini Dave ◽  
Kimberly C Claeys ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
White Blood Cells ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Absolute Increase

Abstract Background Urine cultures are often positive in the absence of urinary tract infection (UTI) leading to unnecessary antibiotics. Reflex culturing decreases unnecessary urine culturing in acute care settings but the benefit in other settings is unknown. Methods This was a quasi-experimental study performed at a health system consisting of an acute care hospital, an emergency department (ED), and two long-term care (LTC) facilities. Reflex urine criterion was a urine analysis with > 10 white blood cells/high-power field. Urine cultures performed per 100 bed days of care (BDOC) were compared pre- (August 2016 to July 2017) vs. post-intervention (August 2017 to August 2018) using interrupted time series regression. Catheter-associated UTI (CAUTI) rates were reviewed to determine potential CAUTIs that would have been prevented. Results In acute care, pre-intervention, 894 cultures were performed (3.6 cultures/100 BDOC). Post-intervention, 965 urine cultures were ordered and 507 cultures were performed (1.8 cultures/100 BDOC). Reflex culturing resulted in an immediate 49% decrease in cultures performed (P < 0.001). The CAUTI rate 2 years pre-intervention was 1.8/1000 catheter days and 1.6/1000 catheter days post-intervention. Reflex culturing would have prevented 4/14 CAUTIs. In ED, pre-intervention, 1393 cultures were performed (5.4 cultures/100 visits). Post-intervention, 1959 urine cultures were ordered and 917 were performed (3.3 cultures/100 visits). Reflex culturing resulted in an immediate 47% decrease in cultures performed (P = 0.0015). In LTC, pre-intervention, 257 cultures were performed (0.4 cultures/100 BDOC). Post-intervention, 432 urine cultures were ordered and 354 were performed (0.5 cultures/100 BDOC). Reflex culturing resulted in an immediate 75% increase in cultures performed (P < 0.001). The CAUTI rate 2 years pre-intervention was 1.0/1000 catheter days vs. 1.6/1,000 catheter days post-intervention. Reflex culturing would have prevented 1/13 CAUTIs. Conclusion Reflex culturing canceled 16%-51% of cultures ordered with greatest impact in acute care and the ED and a small absolute increase in LTC. CAUTI rates did not change although reflex culturing would have prevented 29% of CAUTIs in acute care and 8% in LTC. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Cognitive Impairment, Chronic Kidney Disease, and 1-Year Mortality in Older Patients Discharged from Acute Care Hospital

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 2202
Author(s):  
Mirko Di Rosa ◽  
Sonia D’Alia ◽  
Francesco Guarasci ◽  
Luca Soraci ◽  
Elisa Pierpaoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Kidney Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Older Patients ◽  
Cox Regression ◽  
Acute Care Hospital ◽  
Potential Interaction ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Constructional Apraxia

The prognostic interaction between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cognitive impairment is still to be elucidated. We investigated the potential interaction of overall cognitive impairment or defective constructional praxis and CKD in predicting 1-year mortality among 646 older patients discharged from hospital. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Berlin Initiative Study (BIS) equation. Cognitive impairment was assessed by the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and defective constructional praxis was ascertained by the inherent MMSE item. The study outcome was 1-year mortality. Statistical analysis was carried out using Cox regression. After adjusting for potential confounders, the co-occurrence of eGFR <30 and overall cognitive impairment (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 3.12, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.26–7.77) and defective constructional praxis (HR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.08–5.77) were associated with the outcome. No significant prognostic interaction of eGFR < 30 with either overall cognitive impairment (HR = 1.99, 95% CI = 0.38–10.3) or constructional apraxia (HR = 1.68, 95% CI = 0.33–8.50) was detectable, while only cognitive deficits were found significantly associated with the outcome in the interaction models (HR = 3.12, 95% CI = 1.45–6.71 for overall cognitive impairment and HR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.05–4.45 for constructional apraxia). Overall cognitive impairment and defective constructional praxis may be associated with increased risk of 1-year mortality among older hospitalized patients with severe CKD. However, no significant prognostic interaction between CKD and cognitive impairment could be observed.

Use of nurse-observed symptoms of delirium in long-term care: effects on prevalence and outcomes of delirium

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane McCusker ◽  
Martin G. Cole ◽  
Philippe Voyer ◽  
Johanne Monette ◽  
Nathalie Champoux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Care ◽  
Confusion Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Composite Outcome ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
Low Sensitivity ◽  
A Prospective Study

ABSTRACTBackground: Previous studies have reported that nurse detection of delirium has low sensitivity compared to a research diagnosis. As yet, no study has examined the use of nurse-observed delirium symptoms combined with research-observed delirium symptoms to diagnose delirium. Our specific aims were: (1) to describe the effect of using nurse-observed symptoms on the prevalence of delirium symptoms and diagnoses in long-term care (LTC) facilities, and (2) to compare the predictive validity of delirium diagnoses based on the use of research-observed symptoms alone with those based on research-observed and nurse-observed symptoms.Methods: Residents aged 65 years and over of seven LTC facilities were recruited into a prospective study. Using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), research assistants (RAs) interviewed residents and nurses to assess delirium symptoms. Delirium symptoms were also abstracted independently from nursing notes. Outcomes measured at five month follow-up were: death, the Hierarchic Dementia Scale (HDS), the Barthel ADL scale, and a composite outcome measure (death, or a 10-point decline in either the HDS or the ADL score).Results: The prevalence of delirium among 235 LTC residents increased from 14.0% (using research-observed symptoms only) to 24.7% (using research- and nurse-observed symptoms). The relative risks (and 95% confidence intervals) for prediction of the composite outcome, after adjustment for covariates, were: 1.43 (0.88, 1.96) for delirium using research-observed symptoms only; 1.77 (1.13, 2.28) for delirium using research- and nurse-observed symptoms, in comparison with no delirium.Conclusions: The inclusion of delirium symptoms observed by nurses not only increases the detection of delirium in LTC facilities but improves the prediction of outcomes.

scholarly journals Twelve-Month Mortality Among Delirium Subtypes

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan K. DeCrane ◽  
Kennith R. Culp ◽  
Bonnie Wakefield
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Confusion Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Term Care ◽  
International Classification Of Disease ◽  
Subsyndromal Delirium ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Underlying Cause Of Death ◽  
State Examination

This study used data from the Delirium Among the Elderly in Rural Long-Term Care Facilities Study and data from the National Death Index (NDI) to examine mortality among 320 individuals. Individuals were grouped into noncases, subsyndromal cases, hypoactive delirium, hyperactive delirium, and mixed delirium on the basis of scoring using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), NEECHAM Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Assessment of Confusion-A (CAC-A), and Vigilance A instruments. Risk ratios of mortality using “days of survival” did not reach statistical significance (α = .05) for any subgroup. Underlying cause of death (UCD) using International Classification of Disease, 10th version (ICD-10), showed typical UCD among older adults. There appeared to be clinical differences in UCD between delirium subgroups. Findings supported the conclusion that careful monitoring of patients with delirium and subsyndromal delirium is needed to avoid complications and injuries that could increase mortality.

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