Post-stroke delirium risk factors, signs and symptoms of onset and outcomes as perceived by expert nurses: A focus group study

Prevalence of post-stroke delirium in acute settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although post-stroke delirium is a frequent complication in acute settings and has significant long-lasting implications for patients, the prevalence of post-stroke delirium diagnosed according to gold-standard criteria remains uncertain. This highlights the importance of updating the current evidence.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to provide a precise estimation of the prevalence of delirium in acute post-stroke settings and to explore potential differences in the reported prevalence according to the characteristics of the study and stroke survivors.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Post-stroke survivors with delirium in acute settings.

DATA SOURCES

Five English and two Chinese language databases from inception to June 2023, and the reference lists of published reviews.

METHODS

Studies reporting the prevalence of post-stroke delirium according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria with the description of assessment method in the absence of interventions for delirium were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened searched records and extracted data from eligible studies. A meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model to evaluate the prevalence of post-stroke delirium, and predefined subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and mixed-effects meta-regression were conducted to explore the contribution of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine eligible studies involving 8839 survivors were included. In acute settings, the overall weighted prevalence of post-stroke delirium was 25 % (95 % CI, 20-30; I2, 95 %). Subgroup analyses revealed age-dependent variations in delirium prevalence, with rates of 20 %, 25 %, and 34 % for ages 60-64, 65-74, and 75-79, respectively. Delirium prevalence varied by assessment duration (7 days: 31 %, >7 days: 24 %, <7 days: 20 %). Initial screening significantly reduced reported prevalence to 15 %, compared with 30 % when no initial screening was conducted. Delirium prevalence was lower when nurses were involved in assessments (13 % vs. 29 %). No significant effects were detected for economic status, publication year, female percentage, onset-to-admission time, stroke type, and assessment frequency. Meta-regression analysis revealed that higher delirium prevalence was associated with increased survivors' age (β = 0.051; 95 % CI, -0.0002 to 0.103; P = 0.05; R2 = 13.36 %).

CONCLUSION

A high prevalence of post-stroke delirium was observed in acute settings. Nurses are required to integrate and coordinate the prevention, early detection, and management of delirium following stroke into their nursing practice, particularly for older stroke survivors. The findings necessitate the need for incorporating specialized training within nursing education to identify and manage the delirium effectively and accurately. This reinforces the pivotal role of nurses in the early detection and prevention of delirium within the acute stroke care continuum.

REGISTRATION

The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022352097).

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Evidence suggests 25 % prevalence of post-stroke delirium in acute settings, with higher rates in older patients, emphasizing the need for prevention, early detection, and management in nursing practice.

Palliative care approaches to acute stroke in the hospital setting

Stroke is a prevalent neurologic condition that portends a high risk of morbidity and mortality such that patients impacted by stroke and their caregivers can benefit from palliative care at the time of diagnosis and throughout the disease trajectory. Clinicians who care for stroke patients should be adept at establishing rapport with patients and caregivers, delivering serious news, responding to emotions, discussing prognosis, and establishing goals of care efficiently in an acute stroke setting. Aggressive stroke care can be integrated with a palliative approach to care that involves aligning the available treatment options with a patient's values and goals of care. Reassessing the goals throughout the hospitalization provides an opportunity for continued shared decision-making about the intensity of poststroke interventions. The palliative needs for stroke patients may increase over time depending on the severity of disease, poststroke complications, stroke-related symptoms, and treatment intensity preferences. If the decision is made to transition the focus of care to comfort, the support of an interdisciplinary palliative care or hospice team can be beneficial to the patient, family members, and surrogate decision makers.

Delirium prevalence, risk factors and outcomes among patients with acute stroke: A multi-centre observational study

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a frequent and serious acute neuropsychiatric syndrome leading to worse prognosis including mortality. Patients with ischaemic and/or haemorrhagic stroke are vulnerable to delirium. However, predisposing and precipitating factors have not been fully discovered to date, leaving this area of practice under-represented in available guidelines.

AIMS

To describe the prevalence, associated factors and main in-hospital outcomes of post-stroke delirium.

METHODS

A multi-centre observational study was conducted from 2019 to 2020 and reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Data were collected in stroke units located in two large hospitals in the North-East region of Italy. Consecutive adult patients with ischaemic and/or haemorrhagic stroke with a Glasgow Coma Scale > 5, who were willing to participate, were included. Data at admission, during the in-hospital stay and at discharge were collected by trained nurses, not involved in the care of patients, with (a) validated tools, (b) direct observation, and (c) access of patients' records.

RESULTS

A total of 78 patients were enrolled (mean 73.1 years; 59% male), and 70.5% of them had suffered an ischaemic stroke. The mean National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission was 8.2 ± 7.0. A total of 34.6% of patients developed post-stroke delirium; the onset was mainly on the first day of admission (70.4%) and the condition lasted for an average of 3.7 days (SD 2.6). In the multivariate logistic regression, 64.1% of the delirium variance was explained by the NIHSS scores (RR 1.259, 95%CI 1.035-1.533; p = 0.022). Patients with post-stroke delirium reported higher functional dependence at discharge and the need for more delaying of hospital care to be admitted in rehabilitation units.

CONCLUSIONS

At admission, higher scores in the NIHSS evaluation might suggest which patients are at an increased risk of delirium. Avoiding interventions that could potentially increase this risk, together with continuous surveillance, become imperative for nurses who are constantly and closely present by their patients' side, in order to prevent this serious complication.