Four acute confusion assessment instruments: reliability and validity for use in long-term care facilities

Delirium in Nursing Home Residents: A Narrative Review

Delirium is an important component of the geriatric syndromes and has been recognized to negatively influence the prognosis of older people in hospital and in a post-acute setting. About 2–5% of older people world-wide live in nursing homes and are characterized by functional impairment, cognitive decline, dementia, comorbidities, and polypharmacotherapy, all factors which influence the development of delirium. However, in this setting, delirium remains often understudied. Therefore, in this narrative review, we aimed to describe the latest evidence regarding delirium screening tools, epidemiology characteristics, outcomes, risk factors, and preventions strategies in nursing homes.

Detecting delirium in nursing home residents using the Informant Assessment of Geriatric Delirium (I-AGeD): a validation pilot study

Aim

The aims of this study were to record the prevalence of delirium in residents with the DSM-5, to investigate the feasibility of the I-AGeD in a Swiss nursing home and to compare the results of the I-AGeD with the DSM-5 criteria as the reference standard.

Findings

This study shows that the I-AGeD is suitable for detecting delirium in nursing home residents with a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 94%.

Message

The I-AGeD is a simple, brief and feasible assessment tool for the detection of delirium in nursing home residents.

Purpose

Early delirium detection in nursing home residents is vital to prevent adverse outcomes. Despite the potential of structured delirium screening tools to enhance delirium detection, they are rarely used in nursing homes. To promote delirium screening tools in nursing homes, they should be easy to integrate into the daily routine of care workers. The I-AGeD, was developed as a simple and easily understandable tool to detect delirium in older adults. The aims of this study were to record the prevalence of delirium, to investigate the feasibility of the I-AGeD, and to compare these results with the DSM-5 as the reference standard.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional prospective single-center pilot study. Seven registered nurses assessed the participants with the I-AGeD. The research assistant conducted delirium assessments based on the DSM-5 criteria, to identify delirium symptoms for the same participants. The feasibility test was verified using a five-point Likert scale ranging from very easy to very difficult.

Results

85 nursing home residents participated in the study. A delirium prevalence of 5.9% was found. The sensitivity was 60% and specificity 94% at a cut point of ≥ 4 to indicate delirium. The feasibility test showed that the 10 items of the I-AGeD were easy or very easy to answer.

Conclusion

The I-AGeD showed an acceptable performance to assess delirium in nursing home residents. Additionally, it was found feasible and due to its brevity the I-AGeD could easily be integrated into the routine of daily care in nursing homes.

Delirium screening tools validated in the context of palliative care: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a distressing neuropsychiatric disorder affecting patients in palliative care. Although many delirium screening tools exist, their utility, and validation within palliative care settings has not undergone systematic review.

AIM

To systematically review studies that validate delirium screening tools conducted in palliative care settings.

DESIGN

Systematic review with narrative synthesis (PROSPERO ID: CRD42019125481). A risk of bias assessment via Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 was performed.

DATA SOURCES

Five electronic databases were systematically searched (January 1, 1982-May 3, 2020). Quantitative studies validating a screening tool in adult palliative care patient populations were included. Studies involving alcohol withdrawal, critical or perioperative care were excluded.

RESULTS

Dual-reviewer screening of 3749 unique titles and abstracts identified 95 studies for full-text review and of these, 17 studies of 14 screening tools were included (n = 3496 patients). Data analyses revealed substantial heterogeneity in patient demographics and variability in screening and diagnostic practices that limited generalizability between study populations and care settings. A risk of bias assessment revealed methodological and reporting deficits, with only 3/17 studies at low risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

The processes of selecting a delirium screening tool and determining optimal screening practices in palliative care are complex. One tool is unlikely to fit the needs of the entire palliative care population across all palliative care settings. Further research should be directed at evaluating and/or adapting screening tools and practices to fit the needs of specific palliative care settings and populations.

Risk for Acute Confusion in Sensory-Impaired, Rural, Long-Term-Care Elders

Acute confusion is a common geriatric syndrome in long-term care (LTC) elders with prevalence rates of 10% to 39%. Sensory impairment, specifically vision and hearing impairment, is even more common in LTC, with prevalence rates of 40% to 90%. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk relationship between sensory impairment and the development of acute confusion in LTC elders. Each resident (N = 114) underwent sensory screening and then was followed for 28 days to monitor for the onset of acute confusion. Twenty residents (17.5%) developed acute confusion, 60 residents (52.6%) were found to be visually impaired, 49 (44.1%) were hearing impaired, and 28 (24.6%) were found to be dually impaired. Significant relationships between vision impairment, odds ratio (OR) = 3.67, confidence interval (CI) (1.13, 11.92), and dual sensory impairment, OR = 2.88, CI (1.04, 8.26), with the development of acute confusion were identified.

Validation of the Sour Seven Questionnaire for screening delirium in hospitalized seniors by informal caregivers and untrained nurses

Background

Delirium is a common condition in hospitalized seniors that nonetheless often goes undetected by nurses or is delayed in being detected which negatively impacts quality of care and outcomes. We sought to develop a new screening tool for delirium, The Sour Seven Questionnaire, a 7-item questionnaire suitable to be completed from informal or untrained caregiver observation. The study aimed to develop the scoring criteria for a positive delirium screen and assess concurrent validity of the questionnaire against a geriatric psychiatrist’s assessment.

Methods

A pilot study of 80 hospitalized seniors over age 65 recruited from three units (2 medical, 1 orthopedic). Participants were assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) with a brief cognitive screen and the Sour Seven Questionnaire posed to the appointed informal caregiver (family member) or untrained nurse for up-to 7 days. Subjects testing positive on the CAM and a random sample of negatively CAM screened subjects were assessed by the geriatric psychiatrist.

Results

From 80 participants, 21 screened positive for delirium on the CAM. 18 of the 21 CAM positive screens were diagnosed to have delirium by the geriatric psychiatrist, and 17 of the 18 randomly assigned negative CAM screens were confirmed as not having delirium. From the questionnaires on these 39 participants, weighted scoring for each of the 7 questions of the Sour Seven Questionnaire was developed based on their relative risks for correctly predicting delirium when compared to the geriatric psychiatrist’s clinical assessment. Total scoring of the questionnaire resulted in the following positive predictive values for delirium: 89 % with a total score of 4 (sensitivity 89.5 %, specificity 90 %), and 100 % with a total score of 9 (sensitivity 63.2 %, specificity 100 %). Comparison between scoring on questionnaires posed to informal caregivers versus untrained nurses showed no differences.

Conclusion

A weighted score of 4 in the Sour Seven Questionnaire has concurrent validity as a screening tool for delirium and a score of 9 is diagnostic for delirium. The Sour Seven Questionnaire is the first screening tool for delirium shown to be suitable for use by informal caregivers and untrained nurses in hospitalized seniors.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12877-016-0217-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Rationing of Nursing Care Within Professional Environmental Constraints

The purpose of this study was to examine rationing of nursing care and the possible relationship between nurses’ perceptions of their professional practice environment and care rationing. A total of 393 nurses from medical and surgical units participated in the study. Data were collected using the Basel Extent of Rationing of Nursing Care (BERNCA) instrument and the Revised Professional Practice Environment (RPPE) Scale. The highest level of rationing was reported for “reviewing of patient documentation” ( M = 1.15, SD = 0.94; 31.2% sometimes or often) followed by “oral and dental hygiene” ( M = 1.06, SD = 0.94; 31.5% sometimes or often) and “coping with the delayed response of physicians” ( M = 1.04, SD = 0.96; 30% sometimes or often). Regression analyses showed that teamwork, leadership and autonomy, and communication about patients accounted in total 18.4% of the variance in rationing. In regard to application, the association between the practice environment and rationing suggests improvements in certain aspects that could minimize rationing.

Assessment scales for delirium: A review

Over the years many scales have been designed for screening, diagnosis and assessing the severity of delirium. In this paper we review the various instruments available to screen the patients for delirium, instruments available to diagnose delirium, assess the severity, cognitive functions, motoric subtypes, etiology and associated distress. Among the various screening instruments, NEECHAM confusion scale and delirium observation scale appear to be most suitable screening instrument for patients’ in general medical and surgical wards, depending on the type of rater (physician or nurse). In general, the instruments which are used for diagnosis [i.e., confusion assessment method (CAM), CAM for intensive care unit (CAM-ICU), Delirium Rating Scale-revised version (DRS-R-98), memorial selirium assessment scale, etc.] are based on various Diagnostic and Statistical Manual criteria and have good to excellent reliability and fair to good validity. Among the various diagnostic instruments, CAM is considered to be most useful instrument because of its accuracy, brevity, and ease of use by clinicians and lay interviewers. In contrast, DRS-R-98 appears to be a comprehensive instrument useful for diagnosis, severity rating and is sensitive to change and hence can be used for monitoring patients over a period. In the ICU setting, evidence suggests that CAM-ICU and Nursing Delirium Screening Scale had comparable sensitivities, but CAM-ICU has higher specificity. With regard to assessment of delirium in pediatric age group, certain instruments like Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium scale and pediatric CAM-ICU has been designed and have been found to be useful.

Twelve-month fall outcomes among delirium subtypes

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to examine falls as an outcome measure at 12 months for two-group comparison (delirium cases and noncases) and five-group comparison (noncases, hypoactive, hyperactive, mixed delirium cases, and subsyndromal delirium cases).

DESIGN

Three hundred and twenty patients enrolled in the Delirium in Rural Long-Term Care Facilities Study, which examined subjects for delirium during a 28-day surveillance period, were followed longitudinally for fall events for 12 months. Fall events were recorded and data analyzed using date of "first fall" as the referent for statistical analysis.

METHODS

Fall reports were completed for all subjects for 12 months following delirium surveillance. Fall records were reviewed and the number of days until the first fall event was calculated. Data were censored for deaths that occurred during the 12-month period.

FINDINGS

Five group analysis of variance (noncases, hyperactive delirium, hypoactive delirium, mixed delirium, and subsyndromal delirium) showed significant differences in Functional Independence Measure scores (p = .001) and number of medications (p = .001). The percentage of patients who fell was higher in all delirium subtypes than in noncases at 12 months and was statistically significant for subsyndromal subjects. Two patients, one each from the subsyndromal and mixed delirium subtypes, died from injuries sustained during falls.

CONCLUSIONS

Delirium appears to increase the risk for falls.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Increased surveillance and fall prevention strategies are needed for patients who experience transient cognitive changes such as delirium and subsyndromal delirium, even after delirium resolution.

Twelve-month mortality among delirium subtypes

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.

Disaster strikes! Long-term care resident outcomes following a natural disaster

This report describes the outcomes of 17 long-term care residents who were participating in a nursing intervention study. The residents were evacuated for 5 days due to a severe summer storm that caused widespread power outages. These residents were seen the day of the storm and three times per week for 2 weeks following their return to the nursing home. More than half of the participants had significant changes in their NEECHAM Confusion Scale scores (n = 11) and modified Confusion Assessment Method scores (n = 9) scores, suggesting the onset of delirium. Two participants were hospitalized within the 2 weeks of the evacuation. One participant died unexpectedly. This report provides a rare look into the negative effects of a short-term evacuation due to a natural disaster.

Delirium scales: A review of current evidence

OBJECTIVES

Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric condition with many adverse outcomes in elderly populations including death. Despite this, it is often misdiagnosed and mistreated. A number of scales can be used to detect delirium. We review scales that have been used in delirium studies and report their psychometric properties.

METHOD

An extensive MEDLINE database search and subsequent examination of reference lists was conducted to identify the various delirium scales that have been designed, primarily for use in the elderly.

RESULTS

Twenty-four scales were identified. Delirium instruments differed according to the classification system they were based on, length of time to administer, the rater and whether they were screening scales or measured symptom severity. The psychometric properties of each scale is reported.

CONCLUSION

A large number of scales exist, but not all are properly evaluated in terms of psychometric properties, and there is not unanimity about which scale is the best. However, a small number of scales may be considered already to be robust and useable: the CAM, the DRS, the MDAS and the NEECHAM.

Delirium in care homes

Delirium is a distressing but preventable condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and significant financial costs. Most research on delirium has focused on high-risk patients in hospitals. Another group also at high risk are residents in care homes for older people. This report reviews the literature on the occurrence, aetiology, outcomes, prevention and treatment of delirium in long-term care. Delirium appears to be common in this setting, with a median point prevalence estimate of 14.2% in studies comparable to the UK. However, there is a paucity of high-quality studies, likely to reflect the difficulty in conducting research in this population and the particular challenges of investigating delirium. Addressing delirium successfully in care homes presents an opportunity to improve care standards and to reduce inequalities in health and social care. Well-designed prospective cohort studies and robust evaluations of interventions to prevent and treat delirium are needed.

Assessment scales for delirium

Delirium is a severe psychiatric syndrome that is highly prevalent in elderly general hospital patients. However, the diagnosis of delirium is often missed. The use of rating scales can be helpful in detecting and measuring delirium symptom severity. This article reviews recent developments regarding psychometric qualities, measurement goals, content and rating procedures of some of the available rating scales in clinical practice. Literature from the Medline files up to 2008 were collected, using the following search entries: delirium, (acute) confusion, assessment/rating scale and screening. Articles were selected if their title or summary were related to the development or applicability of delirium rating scales. The reference lists of relevant articles were searched for additional references. The rating scales were split up according to their purposes, screening or severity rating and were discussed for the following aspects: content (theoretical background, rating domains and items), interview (duration, format and assessors’ expertise) and psychometric qualities (reliability and validity). There were eight screening scales (Confusion Assessment Method [CAM], CAM for the Intensive Care Unit [CAM-ICU], Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist [ICDSC], Delirium Symptom Interview [DSI], NEECHAM Confusion Scale [NEECHAM], Cognitive Test for Delirium [CTD], Delirium Observation Screening [DOS] and Nursing Delirium Screening Scale [Nu-DESC]) and seven severity rating scales (Delirium Rating Scales [DRS], Memorial Delirium Assessment Scales [MDAS], Confusional State Evaluation [CSE], Delirium Severity Scales [DSS], Delirium Index [DI], Delirium-O-Meter [DOM] and Delirium Detection Scale [DDS] ) selected for further research. The CAM, NEECHAM and DOS and the CAM-ICU for the ICU appear to be the most suitable as screening instruments, depending on the type of rater (trained) physician or nurse. The (revised) Delirium Rating Scale (DRS-R-98) and the DOM appear to be particularly useful for measuring delirium severity or monitoring change.

Nutritional status and delirium in long-term care elderly individuals

Delirium is physiologically plausible in elderly individuals with a poor nutritional status. We explored body composition, serum protein levels, and delirium in a multicenter long-term care study using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Estimates from the BIA procedure included the body cell mass and fat-free mass (FFM) of nursing home elderly residents (N = 312). Increased delirium was identified in men and women who were leaner and had lower FFM. Clinical surveillance for delirium in frail elderly individuals with low serum albumin levels and polypharmacy is recommended because of their increased likelihood of having drug toxicities for medications with protein-binding properties.

Does delirium need immediate medical referral in a frail, homebound elder?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

This case report describes the clinical decision making process of a physical therapist whose examination of a home bound elderly woman led to a referral for hospitalization. We illustrate how the use of a comprehensive systems screen and thorough examination identified a patient with treatable conditions that required medical care.

CASE DESCRIPTION

The patient was a frail 93-year-old woman. She was referred for home-care physical therapy with multiple medical comorbidities and functional decline following a short hospitalization for fall-related injuries. Her function improved after several visits, but upon resuming treatment after a 2- week hiatus, the patient demonstrated major decline in cognitive and physical function.

OUTCOMES

The comprehensive systems screen revealed that the patient had increased pallor, loose and frequent bowel movements, urinary incontinence and increased frequency of micturition, confusion and apathy, and extreme fatigue. Her examination showed large declines in scores for Functional Independence Measures, Mini Mental Status Examination, Berg Balance Test, and Timed Up and Go. These results were consistent with indicators for delirium, dehydration, and anemia. The findings were reported to the patient's physician and family members agreed to have the patient evaluated in the local emergency room.

CONCLUSIONS

This case report illustrates how knowledge of the pathologies associated with delirium and thorough examination can assist the physical therapist in making clinical decisions when homecare patients require prompt medical referral.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis and other hydration parameters as risk factors for delirium in rural nursing home residents

BACKGROUND

The study investigators conducted a vigorous screening protocol for delirium in rural long-term care (LTC) facilities for a period of 28 days focusing on Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) and other hydration parameters as risk factors.

METHODS

A two-stage cluster sampling procedure was used to randomly select participants (n = 313) from 13 LTC facilities located in southeastern Iowa, stratified on facility bed size. BIA was used to estimate intracellular water (ICW), extracellular water (ECW), and total body water (TBW) on four occasions--baseline and follow-up days 7, 14, and 28. Volume estimates were calculated as a percent of body weight (%WT). Serum electrolytes and hematology were also measured. Delirium was measured with four strict criteria: a NEECHAM Confusion Scale score < 25, Vigilance "A" score > 2, a Mini-Mental Status Examination < baseline, and a positive Confusion Assessment Method score.

RESULTS

There were n = 69 delirium cases (22.0%). Blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratios greater than 21:1 (odds ratio = 1.76, 95% confidence interval 1.02-3.06). No significant risk for delirium was associated with ICW, ECW, or TBW as a percent of body weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Some changes were observed with a slight decrease in ICW between day 7 and day 14 of follow-up that tended to follow an increase in delirium events, but in general the BIA measures did not predict delirium events.

Early detection of postoperative delirium and confusion in a surgical ward using the NEECHAM confusion scale

The early detection and prevention of postoperative delirium and confusion has become an important issue in surgical ward management. With the aim of determining an objective technique for early detection of delirium, 64 patients admitted to a surgical ward before surgery were examined using the NEECHAM confusion scale. On the 2nd postoperative day they were tested again and divided into 3 groups on the basis of their NEECHAM scores: high risk, low risk, and no risk, for confusion. The trends of the NEECHAM scores in the 3 groups were compared, and the relationship between the NEECHAM scores and suspected clinical risk factors for delirium was investigated. Use of NEECHAM scaling enabled medical staff to identify cases of possible confusion early, indicating that the NEECHAM confusion scale should be useful for the detection of postoperative delirium and confusion in the surgical ward.

Review Article: Management of Behavioral Symptoms in Progressive Degenerative Dementias

Management of behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other progressive degenerative dementias poses continuous challenge to both family and professional caregivers. Behavioral symptoms are complex in nature and require that caregivers understand their presumed causes and intervene appropriately using validated caregiving techniques. Unfortunately, confusing terminology hampers improvement in management techniques. This review attempts to clarify terminology and specifically the behavioral symptoms "agitation" and "resistiveness to care" that require different management techniques. Several conceptual frameworks for behavioral symptoms of dementia are presented. These frameworks include behavioral models, a psychiatric model, and a comprehensive model that combines both behavioral and psychiatric strategies. Using precise terminology consistently and providing care based on a conceptual framework will facilitate the education of caregivers in appropriate techniques for management of behavioral symptoms of dementias.