Exploring Delirium's Heterogeneity: Association Between Arousal Subtypes at Initial Presentation and 6-Month Mortality in Older Emergency Department Patients

A scoping review of geriatric emergency medicine research transparency in diversity, equity, and inclusion reporting

INTRODUCTION

The intersection of ageism and racism is underexplored in geriatric emergency medicine (GEM) research.

METHODS

We performed a scoping review of research published between January 2016 and December 2021. We included original emergency department-based research focused on falls, delirium/dementia, medication safety, and elder abuse. We excluded manuscripts that did not include (1) original research data pertaining to the four core topics, (2) older adults, (3) subjects from the United States, and (4) for which full text publication could not be obtained. The primary objective was to qualitatively describe reporting about older adults' social identities in GEM research. Secondary objectives were to describe (1) the extent of inclusion of minoritized older adults in GEM research, (2) GEM research about health equity, and (3) feasible approaches to improve the status quo of GEM research reporting.

RESULTS

After duplicates were removed, 3277 citations remained and 883 full-text articles were reviewed, of which 222 met inclusion criteria. Four findings emerged. First, race and ethnicity reporting was inconsistent. Second, research rarely provided a rationale for an age threshold used to define geriatric patients. Third, GEM research more commonly reported sex than gender. Fourth, research commonly excluded older adults with cognitive impairment and speakers of non-English primary languages.

CONCLUSION

Meaningful assessment of GEM research inclusivity is limited by inconsistent reporting of sociodemographic characteristics, specifically race and ethnicity. Reporting of sociodemographic characteristics should be standardized across different study designs. Strategies are needed to include in GEM research older adults with cognitive impairment and non-English primary languages.

Delirium detection in the emergency department: A diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis of history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and screening instruments

INTRODUCTION

Geriatric emergency department (ED) guidelines emphasize timely identification of delirium. This article updates previous diagnostic accuracy systematic reviews of history, physical examination, laboratory testing, and ED screening instruments for the diagnosis of delirium as well as test-treatment thresholds for ED delirium screening.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of approaches to identify delirium. Studies were included if they described adults aged 60 or older evaluated in the ED setting with an index test for delirium compared with an acceptable criterion standard for delirium. Data were extracted and studies were reviewed for risk of bias. When appropriate, we conducted a meta-analysis and estimated delirium screening thresholds.

RESULTS

Full-text review was performed on 55 studies and 27 were included in the current analysis. No studies were identified exploring the accuracy of findings on history or laboratory analysis. While two studies reported clinicians accurately rule in delirium, clinician gestalt is inadequate to rule out delirium. We report meta-analysis on three studies that quantified the accuracy of the 4 A's Test (4AT) to rule in (pooled positive likelihood ratio [LR+] 7.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-20.7) and rule out (pooled negative likelihood ratio [LR-] 0.18, 95% CI 0.09-0.34) delirium. We also conducted meta-analysis of two studies that quantified the accuracy of the Abbreviated Mental Test-4 (AMT-4) and found that the pooled LR+ (4.3, 95% CI 2.4-7.8) was lower than that observed for the 4AT, but the pooled LR- (0.22, 95% CI 0.05-1) was similar. Based on one study the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is the superior instrument to rule in delirium. The calculated test threshold is 2% and the treatment threshold is 11%.

CONCLUSIONS

The quantitative accuracy of history and physical examination to identify ED delirium is virtually unexplored. The 4AT has the largest quantity of ED-based research. Other screening instruments may more accurately rule in or rule out delirium. If the goal is to rule in delirium then the CAM-ICU or brief CAM or modified CAM for the ED are superior instruments, although the accuracy of these screening tools are based on single-center studies. To rule out delirium, the Delirium Triage Screen is superior based on one single-center study.

Clinical Risk Group as a predictor of mortality in delirious older adults in the emergency department

BACKGROUND

In older people, chronicity is associated with delirium, which in turn increases the risk of developing poor clinical outcomes like nursing home admission and death. The aim is to determine whether chronicity, as assessed by Clinical Risk Groups (CRG), is an independent predictor of mortality in older adults with delirium seen in the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

Prospective study with 18-month follow-up. Included patients were aged 65 years or older, admitted from 1 January to 31 December 2020, and diagnosed and coded for delirium in the ED of a secondary hospital. Patients were followed for 18 months. A survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

The study included 125 patients (56 % men, mean age 81.2 years, standard deviation [SD] 7.5). At baseline, level 0 chronicity was present in 4.7 % of the patients; level 1, 23.4 %; level 2, 32.8 %; and level 3, 39.1 %. By study end, 29.68 % (n = 38) had died. Mean survival in the total sample was 176.6 (standard error 25.8) days. Level 3 chronicity was associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio 3.41, 95 % confidence interval 1.31-8.96).

CONCLUSIONS

Level 3 chronicity, as assessed by Clinical Risk Groups, is an independent predictor of mortality in older ED patients with delirium. Delirium leads to an increased level of chronicity over the following months.

Delirium Severity Trajectories and Outcomes in ICU Patients. Defining a Dynamic Symptom Phenotype

Rationale: Delirium severity and duration are independently associated with higher mortality and morbidity. No studies to date have described a delirium trajectory by integrating both severity and duration.Objectives: The primary aim was to develop delirium trajectories by integrating symptom severity and duration. The secondary aim was to investigate the association among trajectory membership, clinical characteristics, and 30-day mortality.Methods: A secondary analysis of the PMD (Pharmacologic Management of Delirium) randomized control trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00842608; N = 531) was conducted. The presence of delirium and symptom severity were measured at least daily for 7 days using the Confusion Assessment Method for the intensive care unit (CAM-ICU) and CAM-ICU-7 (on a scale of 0-7, with 7 being the most severe). Delirium trajectories were defined using an innovative, data-driven statistical method (group-based trajectory modeling [GBTM]) and SAS v9.4.Results: A total of 531 delirious participants (mean age 60 yr [standard deviation = 16], 55% female, and 46% African American) were analyzed. Five distinct delirium trajectories were described (CAM-ICU-7: mean [standard deviation]); mild-brief (CAM-ICU-7: 0.5 [0.5]), severe-rapid recovers (CAM-ICU-7: 2.1 [1.0]), mild-accelerating (CAM-ICU-7: 2.2 [0.9]), severe-slow recovers (CAM-ICU-7: 3.9 [0.9]), and severe-nonrecovers (CAM-ICU-7: 5.9 [1.0]). Baseline cognition and race were associated with trajectory membership. Trajectory membership independently predicted 30-day mortality while controlling for age, sex, race, cognition, illness severity, and comorbidities.Conclusions: This secondary analysis described five distinct delirium trajectories based on delirium symptom severity and duration using group-based trajectory modeling. Trajectory membership predicted 30-day mortality.

Risk Factors for Delirium in Older Adults in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify risk factors for delirium in geriatric patients in the emergency department and to identify emergency department (ED)-based modifiable risk factors for developing delirium during hospitalization. We searched evidence based medicine reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for observational studies from the time of their inception to July 2020. We included studies that evaluated potential risk factors for either prevalent or incident delirium among older adults (age ≥ 60 years) presenting to the ED. When appropriate, we meta-analyzed estimates for risk factors using a random-effects model. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation approach. The study's protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CDR42020175261). A total of 4,513 citations were reviewed, and 34 studies met the criteria for inclusion: 27 evaluating risk factors for ED delirium (13,412 patients) and 7 evaluating ED-based risk factors for developing delirium during hospitalization (2,238 patients). The prevalence of ED delirium ranged from 7% to 35%. Four factors had strong associations with ED delirium and were graded as high-certainty evidence, including nursing home residence (4 studies; odds ratio [OR], 3.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.17 to 5.48), cognitive impairment (7 studies; OR, 4.46; 95% CI, 3.38 to 5.89), hearing impairment (3 studies, OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.03 to 6.41), and a history of stroke (3 studies; OR, 3.20; 95% CI, 1.17 to 8.75). The rate of developing delirium during hospitalization ranged from 11% to 27%. A length of stay of more than 10 hours in ED was associated with a higher risk of delirium (1 study; OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.13 to 4.41). One study reported that severe pain, rather than the use of opioids, was associated with the development of delirium. These findings can be used to prioritize delirium screening in the ED and develop novel ED delirium risk scores or prevention interventions.

Rapid Fire: Acute Brain Failure in Older Emergency Department Patients

Delirium is common in older emergency department (ED) patients. Although associated with significant morbidity and mortality, it often goes unrecognized. A consistent approach to evaluation of mental status, including use of validated tools, is key to diagnosing delirium. Identification of the precipitating event requires thorough evaluation, including detailed history, medication reconciliation, physical examination, and medical work-up, for causes of delirium. Management is aimed at identifying and treating the underlying cause. Meaningful improvements in delirium care can be achieved when prevention, identification, and management of older delirious ED patients is integrated by physicians and corresponding frameworks implemented at the health system level.

Association between components of the delirium syndrome and outcomes in hospitalised adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Delirium is a heterogeneous syndrome with inattention as the core feature. There is considerable variation in the presence and degree of other symptom domains such as altered arousal, psychotic features and global cognitive dysfunction. Delirium is independently associated with increased mortality, but it is unclear whether individual symptom domains of delirium have prognostic importance. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies in hospitalised adults in general settings to identify the relationship between symptom domains of delirium and outcomes.

(PROSPERO: CRD42018093935).

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception to November 2019. We included studies of hospitalised adults that reported associations between symptom domains of delirium and 30-day mortality (primary outcome), and other outcomes including mortality at other time points, length of stay, and dementia. Reviewer pairs independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias (Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies) and quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. We performed random-effects meta-analyses stratified by delirium domain where possible.

Results

From 7092 citations we included 6 studies (6002 patients, 1112 with delirium). Higher mortality (ranging from in-hospital to follow-up beyond 12 months) was associated with altered arousal (pooled Odds Ratio (OR) 2.80, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 2.33–3.37; moderate-quality evidence), inattention (pooled OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.74–3.80; low-quality evidence), and in single studies with disorientation, memory deficits and disorganised thoughts. Risk of bias varied across studies but was moderate-to-high overall, mainly due to selection bias, lack of blinding of assessments and unclear risk of selective outcome reporting. We found no studies on the association between psychotic features, visuospatial deficits or affective disturbances in delirium and outcomes, or studies reporting non-mortality outcomes.

Conclusions

Few studies have related symptom domains of delirium to outcomes, but the available evidence suggests that altered arousal and inattention in delirium are associated with higher mortality than normal arousal and attention in people with or without delirium. Measurable symptom domains of delirium may have value in predicting survival and stratifying patients for treatment. We recommend that future delirium studies report outcomes by symptom domain.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02095-z.

Delirium Prevention, Detection, and Treatment in Emergency Medicine Settings: A Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research (GEAR) Network Scoping Review and Consensus Statement

BACKGROUND

Older adult delirium is often unrecognized in the emergency department (ED), yet the most compelling research questions to overcome knowledge-to-practice deficits remain undefined. The Geriatric Emergency care Applied Research (GEAR) Network was organized to identify and prioritize delirium clinical questions.

METHODS

GEAR identified and engaged 49 transdisciplinary stakeholders including emergency physicians, geriatricians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and patient advocates. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews, clinical questions were derived, medical librarian electronic searches were conducted, and applicable research evidence was synthesized for ED delirium detection, prevention, and management. The scoping review served as the foundation for a consensus conference to identify the highest priority research foci.

RESULTS

In the scoping review, 27 delirium detection "instruments" were described in 48 ED studies and used variable criterion standards with the result of delirium prevalence ranging from 6% to 38%. Clinician gestalt was the most common "instrument" evaluated with sensitivity ranging from 0% to 81% and specificity from 65% to 100%. For delirium management, 15 relevant studies were identified, including one randomized controlled trial. Some intervention studies targeted clinicians via education and others used clinical pathways. Three medications were evaluated to reduce or prevent ED delirium. No intervention consistently prevented or treated delirium. After reviewing the scoping review results, the GEAR stakeholders identified ED delirium prevention interventions not reliant on additional nurse or physician effort as the highest priority research.

CONCLUSIONS

Transdisciplinary stakeholders prioritize ED delirium prevention studies that are not reliant on health care worker tasks instead of alternative research directions such as defining etiologic delirium phenotypes to target prevention or intervention strategies.

Challenges of Delirium Management in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury: From Pathophysiology to Clinical Practice

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can initiate a very complex disease of the central nervous system (CNS), starting with the primary pathology of the inciting trauma and subsequent inflammatory and CNS tissue response. Delirium has long been regarded as an almost inevitable consequence of moderate to severe TBI, but more recently has been recognized as an organ dysfunction syndrome with potentially mitigating interventions. The diagnosis of delirium is independently associated with prolonged hospitalization, increased mortality and worse cognitive outcome across critically ill populations. Investigation of the unique problems and management challenges of TBI patients is needed to reduce the burden of delirium in this population. In this narrative review, possible etiologic mechanisms behind post-traumatic delirium are discussed, including primary injury to structures mediating arousal and attention and secondary injury due to progressive inflammatory destruction of the brain parenchyma. Other potential etiologic contributors include dysregulation of neurotransmission due to intravenous sedatives, seizures, organ failure, sleep cycle disruption or other delirium risk factors. Delirium screening can be accomplished in TBI patients and the presence of delirium portends worse outcomes. There is evidence that multi-component care bundles including an analgesia-prioritized sedation algorithm, regular spontaneous awakening and breathing trials, protocolized delirium assessment, early mobility and family engagement can reduce the burden of ICU delirium. The aim of this review is to summarize the approach to delirium in TBI patients with an emphasis on pathogenesis and management. Emerging CNS-active drug therapies that show promise in preclinical studies are highlighted.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Italian Version of the Observational Scale of Level of Arousal

OBJECTIVES

Along with deficit of attention, level of arousal is a primary criterion for the diagnosis of delirium. The Observational Scale of Level of Arousal (OSLA) is a quick, simple, and observational instrument used to evaluate the variation of arousal for rapid screening of delirium in clinical practice. The current study aims to perform a cross-cultural adaption of and to validate the Italian version of the OSLA scale to detect delirium in older aged, hospitalized patients.

DESIGN

Longitudinal study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

In hospital and transitional care setting. Old age patients.

METHODS

A cross-cultural adaptation of the OSLA from English into Italian was conducted, including back-translation. The validation of the OSLA was assessed in 116 older patients (age >65 years) admitted to geriatric, internal medicine, and transitional care wards. The 4 "A"s Test serves as the gold standard for the measurement of delirium.

RESULTS

Incident delirium was assessed longitudinally at different time points during hospitalization. The Italian version of OSLA demonstrated adequate internal consistency, specificity, sensitivity, agreement, test-retest reliability, and sensitivity to change, indicating adequate its clinometric properties in the detection of delirium in a real world hospitalized cohort of older adults.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The current study is among the few studies to assess arousal as a core feature of delirium by virtue of a longitudinal assessment of delirium, moving a step forward in the implementation of a brief and easy to use delirium-screening tool for the measurement of important clinical outcomes in a frail, old aged hospitalized population.

The Observational Scale of Level of Arousal: A brief tool for assessing and monitoring level of arousal in patients with delirium outside the ICU

OBJECTIVES

Altered level of arousal, encompassing drowsiness and hypervigilance, affects at least 10% of acutely unwell patients. Existing scales provide limited coverage of milder changes in level of arousal. We devised the Observational Scale of Level of Arousal (OSLA) to enable more detailed arousal assessment. Here, we provide a preliminary case-control study of performance of the OSLA in assessing abnormal level of arousal associated with delirium outside the ICU.

METHODS

Hip fracture patients (N = 108, median age = 82 years) were assessed for delirium pre- and post-operatively using the Confusion Assessment Method and the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98. The OSLA has four graded items assessing eye opening, eye contact, posture, and movement (score range 0 [normal arousal]-15). We assessed the psychometric and diagnostic characteristics of the OSLA. Adjusted linear mixed effects models were used to explore responsiveness of the OSLA to within-patient change in delirium status.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients (40.7%) were diagnosed with delirium. OSLA scores were higher in delirium (pooled median = 3, InterQuartile Range [IQR] = 2-5) compared to no delirium (pooled median = 1, IQR = 1-2; P-values <.05 to <.001). The Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve was 0.82 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.77-0.86). OSLA scores were responsive to change in delirium status (ß = -3.09. SE = 1.41, P < .03).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides preliminary evidence supporting use of the OSLA as an instrument for identifying abnormal level of arousal associated with delirium and monitoring this longitudinally. Further validation in larger cohorts with blinded raters is required. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:-, 2020.

Relationship Between Intensive Care Unit Delirium Severity and 2-Year Mortality and Health Care Utilization

BACKGROUND

Critical care patients with delirium are at an increased risk of functional decline and mortality long term.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship between delirium severity in the intensive care unit and mortality and acute health care utilization within 2 years after hospital discharge.

METHODS

A secondary data analysis of the Pharmacological Management of Delirium and Deprescribe randomized controlled trials. Patients were assessed twice daily for delirium or coma using the Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale and the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). Delirium severity was measured using the CAM-ICU-7. Mean delirium severity (from time of randomization to discharge) was categorized as rapidly resolving, mild to moderate, or severe. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model time to death, first emergency department visit, and rehospitalization. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race, Charlson Comorbidity Index, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, discharge location, diagnosis, and intensive care unit type.

RESULTS

Of 434 patients, those with severe delirium had higher mortality risk than those with rapidly resolving delirium (hazard ratio 2.21; 95% CI, 1.35-3.61). Those with 5 or more days of delirium or coma had higher mortality risk than those with less than 5 days (hazard ratio 1.52; 95% CI, 1.07-2.17). Delirium severity and number of days of delirium or coma were not associated with time to emergency department visits and rehospitalizations.

CONCLUSION

Increased delirium severity and days of delirium or coma are associated with higher mortality risk 2 years after discharge.

Association Between Level of Arousal and 30-Day Survival in Acutely Ill Older Adults

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between impaired arousal on admission and 30-day mortality in acutely ill older adults.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Patients age +65 years admitted to the geriatric ward of a tertiary university hospital from 2010 to 2018 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

METHODS

Participants were evaluated on admission according to a standardized comprehensive geriatric assessment model. Delirium was detected using the short version of the Confusion Assessment Method (Short-CAM). We used 2 alternative criteria to define impaired arousal: lethargy, stupor, or coma according to the Short-CAM; and a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of ≤13. Our primary outcome was time-to-death in 30 days, and we used Cox proportional hazards models to explore the association between impaired arousal and decreased survival.

RESULTS

We included 1554 admissions with a mean age of 81 years and of whom 61% were women. Overall, prevalent delirium was observed in 28% of the cases. We found that in 33% of admissions, patients were lethargic, stuporous, or comatose, and that in 23%, they had GCS scores of ≤13. General 30-day mortality was 19% but reached 32% in patients with GCS scores of ≤13. Impaired arousal was independently associated with lower survival in 30 days, both when defined using Short-CAM criteria [lethargy + stupor + coma: hazard ratio (HR) 2.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.66‒3.27] and GCS scores (GCS 12‒13: HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.13‒2.33; GCS ≤ 11: HR 2.53, 95% CI 1.68‒3.80). In interaction analyses, we confirmed our results in patients who had impaired arousal but were neither delirious (lethargy + stupor + coma: HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.44‒3.24; GCS ≤ 11: HR 3.07; 95% CI 1.50‒6.29) nor demented (lethargy + stupor + coma: HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.15‒3.28).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Level of arousal on admission was an independent predictor of 30-day survival in acutely ill older adults, regardless of delirium or baseline dementia. Clinicians should be aware that even if unsure of whether a patient has delirium, arousal assessment can provide crucial clinical and prognostic insight.

Methods of identifying delirium: A research protocol

Delirium is an acute disorder affecting up to 80% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. It is associated with a 10-fold increase in cognitive impairment, triples the rate of in-hospital mortality, and costs $164 billion annually. Delirium acutely affects attention and global cognitive function with fluctuating symptoms caused by underlying organic etiologies. Early detection is crucial because the longer a patient experiences delirium the worse it becomes and the harder it is to treat. Currently, identification is through intermittent clinical assessment using standardized tools, like the Confusion Assessment Method for ICU. Such tools work well in clinical research but do not translate well into clinical practice because they are subjective, intermittent and have low sensitivity. As such, healthcare providers using these tools fail to recognize delirium symptoms as much as 80% of the time. Delirium-related biochemical derangement leads to electrical changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) patterns followed by behavioral signs and symptoms. However, continuous EEG monitoring is not feasible due to cost and need for skilled interpretation. Studies using limited-lead EEG show large differences between patients with and without delirium while discriminating delirium from other causes. The Ceribell is a limited-lead device that analyzes EEG. If it is capable of detecting delirium, it would provide an objective physiological monitor to identify delirium before symptom onset. This pilot study was designed to explore relationships between Ceribell and delirium status. Completion of this study will provide a foundation for further research regarding delirium status using the Ceribell data.

The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Cognitive and Behavioral Changes After Electrode Implantation Surgery in Rats

Postoperative delirium can lead to increased morbidity and mortality, and may even be a potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome. However, the neural mechanism underlying this condition has not been fully understood and there is little knowledge regarding potential preventive strategies. To date, investigation of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the relief of symptoms caused by neuropsychiatric disorders and the enhancement of cognitive performance has led to promising results. In this study, we demonstrated that tDCS has a possible effect on the fast recovery from delirium in rats after microelectrode implant surgery, as demonstrated by postoperative behavior and neurophysiology compared with sham stimulation. This is the first study to describe the possible effects of tDCS for the fast recovery from delirium based on the study of both electroencephalography and behavioral changes. Postoperative rats showed decreased attention, which is the core symptom of delirium. However, anodal tDCS over the right frontal area immediately after surgery exhibited positive effects on acute attentional deficit. It was found that relative power of theta was lower in the tDCS group than in the sham group after surgery, suggesting that the decrease might be the underlying reason for the positive effects of tDCS. Connectivity analysis revealed that tDCS could modulate effective connectivity and synchronization of brain activity among different brain areas, including the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, and thalamus. It was concluded that anodal tDCS on the right frontal regions may have the potential to help patients recover quickly from delirium.

Delirium and Dementia

Approximately 35% to 37% of older emergency department (ED) patients will have delirium or dementia, which can negatively affect safe and appropriate clinical care. This article describes the epidemiology of delirium and dementia in the ED and how it affects clinical care and patient outcomes. Screening for delirium and dementia in the context of the busy ED environment, as well as their diagnostic evaluation and management, is discussed.

Delirium etiology subtypes and their effect on six-month function and cognition in older emergency department patients

ABSTRACTBackground:Delirium is heterogeneous and can vary by etiology.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine how delirium subtyped by etiology affected six-month function and cognition.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary care, academic medical center.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 228 hospitalized patients &gt; 65 years old were admitted from the emergency department (ED).

MEASUREMENTS

The modified Brief Confusion Assessment Method was used to determine delirium in the ED. Delirium etiology was determined by three trained physician reviewers using a Delirium Etiology checklist. Pre-illness and six-month function and cognition were determined using the Older American Resources and Services Activities of Daily Living (OARS ADL) questionnaire and the short-form Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Multiple linear regression was performed to determine if delirium etiology subtypes were associated with six-month function and cognition adjusted for baseline OARS ADL and IQCODE. Two-factor interactions were incorporated to determine pre-illness function or cognition-modified relationships between delirium subtypes and six-month function and cognition.

RESULTS

In patients with poorer pre-illness function only, delirium secondary to metabolic disturbance (β coefficient = -2.9 points, 95%CI: -0.3 to -5.6) and organ dysfunction (β coefficient = -4.3 points, 95%CI: -7.2 to -1.4) was significantly associated with poorer six-month function. In patients with intact cognition only, delirium secondary to central nervous system insults was significantly associated with poorer cognition (β coefficient = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.19 to 1.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Delirium is heterogeneous and different etiologies may have different prognostic implications. Furthermore, the effect of these delirium etiologies on outcome may be dependent on the patient's pre-illness functional status and cognition.

Delirium's Arousal Subtypes and Their Relationship with 6-Month Functional Status and Cognition

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine how delirium subtyped by arousal affected 6-month function and cognition in acutely ill older patients.

METHODS

This was secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study which enrolled hospitalized patients ≥65 years old. Delirium and arousal were ascertained daily in the emergency department and the first 7 days of hospitalization using the modified Brief Confusion Assessment Method and Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale, respectively. For each day, patients were categorized as having no delirium, delirium with normal arousal, delirium with decreased arousal, or delirium with increased arousal. Preillness and 6-month functional status were determined using the Older American Resources and Services activities of daily living scale which ranges from 0 (completely dependent) to 28 (completely independent). Preillness and 6-month cognition were determined using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly which ranges from 1 (markedly improved cognition) to 5 (severe cognitive impairment). Multiple linear regression was performed adjusted for preillness Older American Resources and Services activities of daily living and Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly and other relevant confounders.

RESULTS

In 228 older patients, delirium with normal arousal was the only subtype independently associated with poorer 6-month function and cognition. For every day spent in this subtype, the 6-month Older American Resources and Services activities of daily living decreased by 0.84 points (95% confidence interval: -1.59 to -0.09) and the patient's 6-month Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly significantly increased by 0.14 points (95% confidence interval: 0.06-0.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Delirium with normal arousal, as opposed to delirium with decreased or increased arousal, was the only arousal subtype significantly associated with worsening 6-month function and cognition. Subtyping delirium by arousal may have important prognostic value.

Performance of Electronic Prediction Rules for Prevalent Delirium at Hospital Admission

IMPORTANCE

Delirium at admission is associated with increased hospital morbidity and mortality, but it may be missed in up to 70% of cases. Use of a predictive algorithm in an electronic medical record (EMR) system could provide critical information to target assessment of those with delirium at admission.

OBJECTIVES

To develop and assess a prediction rule for delirium using 2 populations of veterans and compare this rule with previously confirmed rules.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In a diagnostic study, randomly selected EMRs of hospitalized veterans from the Veterans Affairs (VA) External Peer Review Program at 118 VA medical centers with inpatient facilities were reviewed for delirium risk factors associated with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) delirium rule in a derivation cohort (October 1, 2012, to September 30, 2013) and a confirmation cohort (October 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014). Delirium within 24 hours of admission was identified using key word terms. A total of 39 377 veterans 65 years or older who were admitted to a VA medical center for congestive heart failure, acute coronary syndrome, community-acquired pneumonia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were included in the study.

EXPOSURE

The EMR calculated delirium risk.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Delirium at admission as identified by trained nurse reviewers was the main outcome measure. Random forest methods were used to identify accurate risk factors for prevalent delirium. A prediction rule for prevalent delirium was developed, and its diagnostic accuracy was tested in the confirmation cohort. This consolidated NICE rule was compared with previously confirmed scoring algorithms (electronic NICE and Pendlebury NICE).

RESULTS

A total of 27 625 patients were included in the derivation cohort (28 118 [92.2%] male; mean [SD] age, 75.95 [8.61] years) and 11 752 in the confirmation cohort (11 536 [98.2%] male; mean [SD] age, 75.43 [8.55] years). Delirium at admission was identified in 2343 patients (8.5%) in the derivation cohort and 882 patients (7.0%) in the confirmation cohort. Modeling techniques identified cognitive impairment, infection, sodium level, and age of 80 years or older as the dominant risk factors. The consolidated NICE rule (area under the receiver operating characteristic [AUROC] curve, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.91-0.92; P < .001) had significantly higher discriminatory function than the eNICE rule (AUROC curve, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.80-0.82; P < .001) or Pendlebury NICE rule (AUROC curve, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.86-0.88; P < .001). These findings were confirmed in the confirmation cohort.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This analysis identified preexisting cognitive impairment, infection, sodium level, and age of 80 years or older as delirium screening targets. Use of this algorithm in an EMR system could direct clinical assessment efforts to patients with delirium at admission.

Systematic review of prediction models for delirium in the older adult inpatient

OBJECTIVE

To identify existing prognostic delirium prediction models and evaluate their validity and statistical methodology in the older adult (≥60 years) acute hospital population.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES AND METHODS

PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, SocINFO, Cochrane, Web of Science and Embase were searched from 1 January 1990 to 31 December 2016. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and CHARMS Statement guided protocol development.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

age >60 years, inpatient, developed/validated a prognostic delirium prediction model.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

alcohol-related delirium, sample size ≤50. The primary performance measures were calibration and discrimination statistics. Two authors independently conducted search and extracted data. The synthesis of data was done by the first author. Disagreement was resolved by the mentoring author.

RESULTS

The initial search resulted in 7,502 studies. Following full-text review of 192 studies, 33 were excluded based on age criteria (<60 years) and 27 met the defined criteria. Twenty-three delirium prediction models were identified, 14 were externally validated and 3 were internally validated. The following populations were represented: 11 medical, 3 medical/surgical and 13 surgical. The assessment of delirium was often non-systematic, resulting in varied incidence. Fourteen models were externally validated with an area under the receiver operating curve range from 0.52 to 0.94. Limitations in design, data collection methods and model metric reporting statistics were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Delirium prediction models for older adults show variable and typically inadequate predictive capabilities. Our review highlights the need for development of robust models to predict delirium in older inpatients. We provide recommendations for the development of such models.

Delirium clinical motor subtypes: a narrative review of the literature and insights from neurobiology

INTRODUCTION

Clinical motor subtypes have been long recognised in delirium and, despite a growing body of research, a lack of clarity exists regarding the importance of these motor subtypes. The aims of this review are to (1) examine how the concept of motor subtypes has evolved, (2) explore their relationship to the clinical context, (3) discuss the relationship between the phenomenology of delirium and motor activity, (4) discuss the application of neurobiology to the theory of delirium motor subtypes, and (5) identify methodological issues and provide solutions for further studies.

METHODS

The following databases were searched: PubMed, PsychInfo, EBSCO, Medline, BioMed central and Science Direct. Inclusion criteria specified peer-reviewed research assessing delirium motor subtypes published between 1990 and 2016.

RESULTS

Sixty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies (n = 50) were found to use validated psychometric tools, while the remainder (n = 11) used clinical criteria. The majority of studies (n = 45) were conducted in the medical setting, while the remainder were in the ICU/post-operative setting (n = 17).

CONCLUSION

Although host sensitivities (e.g. frailty) and exogenous factors (e.g. medication exposure) may determine the type of motor disturbance, it remains unclear to what extent motor subtypes are influenced by other features of delirium. The use of more specialised tools (e.g. delirium motor subtyping scale), may enable researchers to develop an approach to delirium that has a greater nosological consistency. Future studies investigating delirium motor subtypes may benefit from enhanced theoretical considerations of the dysfunctional neural substrate of the delirious state.

Prognostic effects of delirium motor subtypes in hospitalized older adults: A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between delirium motor subtypes and hospital mortality and 12-month mortality in hospitalized older adults.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study conducted from 2009 to 2015.

SETTING

Geriatric ward of a university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

We included 1,409 consecutive admissions of acutely ill patients aged 60 years and over. We excluded admissions for end-of-life care, with missing data on the main variables, length of stay shorter than 48 hours, or when consent to participate was not given.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Delirium was detected using the Confusion Assessment Method and categorized in hypoactive, hyperactive, or mixed delirium. Primary outcomes were time to death in the hospital, and time to death in 12 months (for the discharged sample). Comprehensive geriatric assessment was performed at admission and included socio-demographic, clinical, functional, cognitive, and laboratory variables. Further clinical data were documented upon death or discharge. Multivariate analyses used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for possible confounders.

RESULTS

We included 1,409 admissions, with a mean age of 80 years. The proportion of in-hospital deaths was 19%, with a cumulative mortality of 38% in 12 months. Delirium occurred in 47% of the admissions. Hypoactive delirium was the predominant motor subtype (53%), followed by mixed delirium (30%) and hyperactive delirium (17%). Hospital mortality rates were respectively 33%, 34% and 15%. We verified that hypoactive and mixed delirium were independently associated with hospital mortality, with respective hazard ratios of 2.43 (95%CI = 1.64-3.59) and 2.31 (95%CI = 1.53-3.50). Delirium motor subtypes were not independently predictive of 12-month mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

One in three acutely ill hospitalized older adults who suffered hypoactive or mixed delirium died in the hospital. Clinicians should be aware that hypoactive symptoms of delirium, whether shown exclusively or in alternation with hyperactive symptoms, are indicative of a worse prognosis in this population.

Commentary on Richardson et al. detecting delirium superimposed on dementia: diagnostic accuracy of a simple combined arousal and attention testing procedure

Consciousness consists of two components: arousal and awareness of the environment and self. Arousal refers to the behavioral continuum that occurs between sleep and wakefulness, while awareness to the content of consciousness (Laureys, 2014). In normal physiological states, with the exception of REM sleep, the level of arousal is positively correlated with awareness (Laureys, 2014) such that arousal is graded and measured by the degree to which it is diminished. This conceptualization appears to have led experts, including the DSM-5, to consider delirium as a condition to not associated with impairments in arousal (Schiff and Plum, 2000, American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, arousal can be both diminished and heightened, not unlike the performance of an old-fashioned incandescent bulb at different voltages, giving barely sufficient light at low voltages and brightening up unbearably at high voltages (MacIsaac et al., 1999). Delirium is associated with both hypo-arousal and hyper-arousal (Han et al., 2017). A small but significant proportion of delirious older patients (10%; n = 155) in the emergency department in this study had normal arousal at the time of the short arousal assessment (Han et al., 2014).

Delirium in the Critically Ill Child: Assessment and Sequelae

Delirium is a common and serious neuropsychiatric complication in critically ill patients of all ages. In the context of critical illness, delirium may emerge as a result of a cascade of underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms and signals organ failure of the brain. Awareness of the clinical importance of delirium in adults is growing as emerging research demonstrates that delirium represents a serious medical problem with significant sequelae. However, our understanding of delirium in children lags significantly behind the adult literature. In particular, our knowledge of how to assess delirium is complicated by challenges in recognizing symptoms of delirium in pediatric patients especially in critical and intensive care settings, and our understanding of its impact on acute and long-term functioning remains in its infancy. This paper focuses on (a) the challenges associated with assessing delirium in critically ill children, (b) the current literature on the outcomes of delirium including morbidity following discharge from PICU, and care-giver well-being, and (c) the importance of assessment in determining impact of delirium on outcome. Current evidence suggests that delirium is a diagnostic challenge for clinicians and may play a detrimental role in a child's recovery after discharge from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Recommendations are proposed for how our knowledge and assessment of delirium in children could be improved.