Acute Confusional States in Hospital

[Assessment of cognition: dementia and delirium : In consideration of the AWMF guidelines 038-013 and 084-002LG]

Cognitive disorders are multifaceted and the range of neuropsychological instruments is correspondingly extensive; however, most examiners have to limit themselves to a small selection in order to master them safely. In geriatric patients the various forms and stages of dementia dominate. Delirium must be distinguished from these as an acute life-threatening event. The personal and external medical history as well as clinical observation are the first steps in the assessment of cognition; the selection of test procedures is graduated and bears the patient's benefit in mind. When compiling a toolbox for use in one's own field of work, in addition to instruments focusing on different degrees of severity, alternatives should also be considered for use in the presence of comorbidities that reduce the validity (visual, hearing and fine motor disorders) and the examination situation should be taken into account.

Validation of a viable delirium detection test performed by nurses and physicians during routine patient care

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a frequent mental impairment in geriatric patients hospitalized in acute care facilities. It carries a high risk of complications and is often the first symptom of acute illness. It is clearly important to identify the development of delirium at an early stage, and several short and effective diagnostic tests have been developed and validated for this purpose. Despite this, patients on hospital wards are seldom monitored for signs of emergent delirium, suggesting that compliance with guidelines would be improved by introducing a simpler and more user-friendly test.

METHODS

We recently implemented a simple delirium assessment tool, called RMA that can be introduced into the daily routine of ward staff without significantly adding to their workload. The nurses noted their impression of the patient's cognitive state in the electronic medical record, and during the morning round the ward physician administered a short attention test to any patients suspected of new cognitive impairment. In this study, we compared RMA test against the widely used and well validated 4AT.

RESULTS

RMA performed daily by the ward staff was found to be non-inferior to 4AT performed by an experienced rater. Compared to 4AT, R&M had a sensitivity of 93.9% and a specificity of 98.3%. An Altman-Bland plot indicated that both tests can be used interchangeably.

CONCLUSIONS

The RMA test is reliable, easy to administer, likely to boost compliance with guidelines, and is expected to raise awareness of delirium among the nurses and physicians directly involved in the diagnostic process.

[Update on the diagnosis and treatment of delirium]

Delirium is an acute confusional state with typically fluctuating disturbances of attention, cognition, and qualitative awareness. Its incidence depends on the patient group. In the development of delirium, predisposing factors such as age, frailty, multimorbidity, surgical interventions, and pre-existing dementia are of high clinical relevance. The diagnosis of delirium should be based on symptoms and validated screening methods (e.g., Confusion Assessment Method). As delirium is a direct physiological consequence of a medical condition, the potential underlying cause(s) should be diagnosed. Prevention and therapy are primarily multimodal, non-pharmacological treatments such as reorientation, early mobilization, and sleep improvement. If symptomatic pharmacological treatment is necessary (e.g., due to delirium-related agitation), careful drug selection should be made depending on the patient population and symptoms.

Comparison of immune cell profiles associated with heatstroke, sepsis, or cardiopulmonary bypass: Study protocol for an exploratory, case-control study trial

Introduction

Heatstroke is a life-threatening illness involving extreme hyperthermia and multi-organ failure, and it is associated with high mortality. The immune profiles of heatstroke have not been fully elucidated, and diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of heatstroke are lacking. This study will analyze immune profiles in heatstroke patients as they differ from profiles in patients with sepsis or aseptic inflammation patients in order to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Methods

This exploratory, case-control study will recruit patients with heatstroke, patients with sepsis, patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass as well as healthy controls at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from 1 January 2023 to 31 October 2023. The four cohorts will be profiled at one time point in terms of lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer cells, and granulocytes using flow cytometry, and cell populations will be visualized in two dimensions using t-SNE and UMAP, then clustered using PhenoGraph and FlowSOM. Gene expression in the specific immune cell populations will also be compared across the four cohorts, as will levels of plasma cytokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Outcomes in the cohorts will be monitored during 30-day follow-up.

Discussion

This trial is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to improve the diagnosis of heatstroke and prediction of prognosis based on immune cell profiles. The study is also likely to generate new insights into immune responses during heatstroke, which may help clarify the disease process and lay the foundation for immunotherapies.

Optimiertes Delirmanagement im psychiatrischen Konsiliardienst im Versorgungskrankenhaus

Im Vergleich zu überwiegend somatischen Fällen beschreibt die Literatur einen deutlich negativen Effekt bei somatisch-psychiatrischer Komorbidität. Betroffen sind die Verweildauer, die Wiederaufnahmewahrscheinlichkeit, die Mortalität und die Pflegebedürftigkeit. Untersucht wurde, ob durch den standardisierten Einsatz psychiatrischer Interventionen eine Verbesserung des psychischen Zustands und des somatischen Krankheitsverlaufs erreicht werden kann.

Zusammengearbeitet wurde dafür mit der infektiologischen Intensivstation (ICU, C11) der 4. medizinischen Abteilung mit Infektions- und Tropenmedizin der Klinik Favoriten (Wiener Gesundheitsverbund). Im Rahmen der Akutphase der Behandlung einer COVID-19-Pneumonie und des damit verbundenen internistischen Managements war ein kritischer Punkt das Auftreten eines Delirs. Mithilfe eines psychiatrischen Interventionsprotokolls mit dem Ziel des gezielten Erkennens eines Delirs und spezifisch festgelegter Reaktionen sollte diese kritische Phase schnell und erfolgreich begleitet werden.

Im Ergebnis kam es zu einer Qualitätsverbesserung in Bezug auf das Delirmanagement, die Schweregrade der beobachteten Delirien konnten vermindert und eine annehmbarere Gestaltung des Delirsyndroms für die Betroffenen erreicht werden. Die regelhaft angewandten Maßnahmen des Protokolls führten zu einer Effizienzsteigerung. Diese äußerte sich auch in einer Abnahme der Frequenz psychiatrischer Konsile. Die frei werdenden Zeiten konnten zur Bedarfsdeckung an anderen Abteilungen genutzt werden, ohne neue Personalressourcen zur Verfügung stellen zu müssen.

Structured delirium management in the hospital—a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a common and serious complication of inpatient hospital care in older patients. The current approaches to prevention and treatment followed in German hospitals are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a standardized multiprofessional approach to the management of delirium in inpatients.

METHODS

The patients included in the study were all >65 years old, were treated for at least 3 days on an internal medicine, trauma surgery, or orthopedic ward at Münster University Hospital between January 2016 and December 2017, and showed cognitive deficits on standardized screening at the time of admission (a score of ≤=25 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] test). Patients in the intervention group received standardized delirium prevention and treatment measures; those in the control group did not. The primary outcomes measured were the incidence and duration of delirium during the hospital stay; the secondary outcomes measured were cognitive deficits relevant to daily living at 12 months after discharge (MoCA and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living [I-ADL]).

RESULTS

The data of 772 patients were analyzed. Both the rate and the duration of delirium were lower in the intervention group than in the control group (6.8% versus 20.5%, odds ratio 0.28, 95% confidence interval [0.18; 0.45]; 3 days [interquartile range, IQR 2-4] versus 6 days [IQR 4-8]). A year after discharge, the patients with delirium in the intervention group showed fewer cognitive deficits relevant to daily living than those in the control group (I-ADL score 2.5 [IQR 2-4] versus 1 [IQR 1-2], P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Structured multiprofessional management reduces the incidence and duration of delirium and lowers the number of lasting cognitive deficits relevant to daily living after hospital discharge.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Delirium: A Double-blind, Randomized, Sham-controlled, Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION

Delirium is a fatal but potentially reversible disorder of the central nervous system that imposes high costs on health systems. This study aims to evaluate the effect of intermittent theta-burst stimulation on the severity and course of delirium disorder.

METHODS

This is a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled pilot study. The study participants were randomly allocated into the active (active intermittent theta-burst stimulation) and sham groups. The severity of delirium was assessed 15 minutes before the intervention and 15 minutes after that by the Neelon and Champagne (NEECHAM) confusion scale.

RESULTS

In the active group, total and subscale scores of NEECHAM significantly decreased after intervention (P<0.05). Although no statistical difference was found in the control group regarding the subscale scores of NEECHAM, the difference in the total scores before and after the sham intervention was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Carrying one session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can reduce the delirium severity in a short period, although it will not decrease the number of delirium cases three days after the intervention.

HIGHLIGHTS

Delirium is a CNS disorder;Delirium treatment is based on pharmacological and non-pharmacological;rTMS is quasi-modern treatment of neurocognitive disorders.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Delirium is fatal but reversible disorder. regarding the restrictions of routine treatments of delirium and by considering the cognition disturbances as the core symptom of delirium, and the positive effect of rTMS on cognition functions. we hypothesized that rTMS could be effective in the treatment of delirium.

[Delirium-an interdisciplinary challenge]

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a common and potentially life-threatening disease that often poses major problems for hospitals in terms of care. It mainly affects older patients and is multifactorial, especially in older people. Permanent functional and cognitive impairments after delirium are not uncommon in geriatric patients.

DIAGNOSTIC

Often, delirious syndromes are not recognized or are misinterpreted. This is especially the case with the hypoactive form of delirium. Various screening and test procedures are available for the detection of delirium, the routine use of which is essential.

TREATMENT

In many cases, delirium can be avoided with suitable preventive measures. Above all, nondrug prevention strategies and multidimensional approaches play an important role here. For the drug treatment of delirium in geriatric patients, low-potency, classic and atypical neuroleptics, as well as dexmedetomidine for severe courses are recommended.

A case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography after anesthesia

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neurological disorder that occurs following cerebral vasogenic edema. It has diverse clinical presentations from headache and vomiting to seizure and mental status alteration. Herein, we report a 54-year-old woman with no prior disease who developed PRES in the parieto-occipital lobes and brain stem after a second attempt endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). To our knowledge, no case of PRES during ERCP has been reported to date. This case reminds us of unusual complications that are likely to occur after ERCP. It is believed that blood pressure fluctuations and anesthetic medications, fentanyl in particular, were the main precipitating factors causing the syndrome in the current case. Even if there is no specific treatment for this condition, a diagnosis is critical to start supportive treatment.

Early Detection and Intervention for Patients with Delirium Admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine: Lessons from a Pilot Initiative

Introduction

Older patients who arrive to the emergency room with delirium have a worse prognosis than others. Early detection and treatment of this problem has been shown to improve outcome. We have launched a project at our hospital to improve the care of patients who arrive delirious to the medical emergency room. The present article describes lessons that can be learned from this pilot initiative.

Methods

All patients older than 70 years admitted to the department of internal medicine were screened for delirium in the emergency room using the 4AT screening tool. Data of patients with a 4AT score ≥5 (or with incomplete score) were transferred to the geriatric unit of the hospital. On the ward, the presence of delirium was confirmed by a geriatric nurse that validated that the patient could walk with support and ordered mobilization and physiotherapy (M&P).

Results

Over the 2 and a half years (10 quarters) allocated for the pilot project, 1,078 medical patients with delirium were included in this survey. In 59.3%, the diagnosis of delirium could be confirmed only after admission. Due to budgetary constraints, only 54.7% received the allocated specific intervention − early M&P. Since it was decided that randomization was not appropriate for our initiative, we found that patients who received M&P had lower (better) 4AT scores on admission, and lower mortality. No significant difference was found between the patients who received M&P and the others in length of hospitalization and discharge to nursing homes. Retrospective comparison of the two groups did not enable to determine whether M&P was given to the patients for whom it was most effective.

Conclusions

It is often not possible to verify in the emergency room that the cognitive decline is indeed new, that is, is due to delirium, and measures must be taken to verify this point as soon as possible after admission. Due to numerous constraints, the availability of early M&P is often insufficient. Whenever resources are scarce and randomization is avoided, adequate criteria should be found for allocating existing dedicated staff to patients for whom early mobilization is likely to be most beneficial.

Enfermería en la monitorización del delirium en cuidado intensivo adulto: una revisión de alcance

Introducción. El delirium es una alteración cognitiva secundaria a una situación clínica aguda que puede estar presente en el paciente crítico, y la enfermería juega un rol protagónico en la prevención, monitoreo y tratamiento no farmacológico del delirium en el paciente en unidad de cuidado intensivo. Objetivo. Identificar las investigaciones actuales que describen las estrategias que utilizan las enfermeras para la monitorización del delirium en la unidad de cuidado intensivo adulto. Método. Revisión de alcance, utilizando la pregunta orientadora ¿qué estrategias utiliza enfermería en la monitorización del delirium en la unidad de cuidado intensivo?, estudios obtenidos en las bases de datos PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, Science Direct y Cochrane. Se realizó una revisión crítica con el instrumento CASPe, los datos se extrajeron, y se llevaron a cabo registros en tablas de gráficos elaboradas para condensar la información. Resultados. Trece estudios se consideraron relevantes y fueron analizados. Las estrategias de monitorización del delirium empleadas por enfermería son, principalmente, el juicio clínico, la observación de la agitación y, en menor medida, el empleo de instrumentos validados para la detección. Conclusión. La enfermería requiere comprender mejor el delirium, y para esto la educación es vital para mejorar su conocimiento, y aumentar la autoconfianza y competencia en la evaluación a través del uso correcto de instrumentos.

[Effects of music in intensive care medicine]

Music not only plays an important role in everyone's life, it also has effects on heart rate, blood pressure and other physiological parameters. Although music can be interpreted as a subjective feeling, studies have shown that objective parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure and other physiological parameters are clearly influenced by music in various circumstances. Meanwhile, music is used in many medical disciplines, including the area of intensive care medicine. Pain, stress and fear in particular can be influenced positively, but music also plays a major role in patients with delirium and during weaning or surgical interventions. According to many available reports and good prospective studies, a positive effect of music has been observed in many medical disciplines and also in intensive care. Also in postoperative patients, whether from visceral surgery, cardiac surgery, orthopaedics or gynecology, to name just a few, positive effects of music with regard to the parameters pain, stress and anxiety have been demonstrated. Even if many physiological and pathophysiological relationships between the effects of music are not explained in detail, the cerebral processing of different impulses is decisive for the effects of music. The most benefit on health is visible with classic music, particularly in compositions of Bach, Mozart or Italian composers.

[Perioperative management of polymedication in geriatric patients: risk reduction and coordination with the family practitioner]

The increasing proportion of older and polymorbid people in the population also means an increase in polymedication and its risks. This places new and complex demands on the interdisciplinary and transsectoral collaboration. The preoperative, perioperative and postoperative management of polymedication is described in the article with respect to frequent risks and the chances of a systematic exchange of information. The establishment of an interdisciplinary admission routine in departments of surgery and communication with the family practitioner is crucial for patient safety.

Diverging Awareness of Postoperative Delirium and Cognitive Dysfunction in German Health Care Providers

PURPOSE

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) appears in up to 30% of patients suffering from postoperative delirium (POD). Both are associated with higher mortality and postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stays, and increased costs. Multi-modal models with pre-admission risk reduction counselling, perioperative monitoring, and training of multidisciplinary patient care providers have been shown to decrease the prevalence of both. The aim of our study is to understand how far those measures are known and implemented in routine care and to detect potential gaps in the current practice regarding risk communication and information flow between involved caregivers for patients at risk for POD/POCD.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

As part of a multicenter study, seven semi-structured focus group (FG) discussions with nurses and physicians from tertiary care hospitals (surgery, anesthesiology, and orthopedics, n=31) and general practitioners (GPs) in private practice (n=7) were performed. Transcribed discussions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

POD is present above all in the daily work of nurses, whereas physicians do not perceive it as a relevant problem. Physicians report that no regular risk assessment or risk communication was performed prior to elective surgery. Information about POD often gets lost during hand-offs and is not regularly reported in discharge letters. Thus, persisting cognitive dysfunction is often missed. The importance of standardized documentation and continuous education concerning risks, screening, and treatment was emphasized. The often-suggested pre-OP medication adjustment was seen as less important; in contrast, avoiding withdrawal was regarded as far more important.

CONCLUSION

Altogether, it seems that standards and available best practice concepts are rarely implemented. In contrast to physicians, nurses are highly aware of delirium and ask for standardized procedures and more responsibility. Therefore, raising awareness regarding risks, screening tools, and effective preventive measures for POD/POCD seems an urgent goal. Nurses should have a central role in coordination and care of POD to prevent the risk for POCD.