https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3487-916X
![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
Objective
Delirium is a clinical diagnosis that can occur frequently in hospitalized patients. A retrospective study was completed to identify the incidence of patients aged greater than 65 developing delirium during hospitalization.
Methods
This study was conducted at a single tertiary care teaching hospital. Charts of discharged patients from November to December 2018 were evaluated and patients less than age 65 or with delirium present on admission were excluded. The search terms altered, delirium, encephalopathy, and confusion were used to identify patients who developed delirium during the hospitalization. Characteristics of the patients with delirium were also collected.
Results
The incidence of new-onset delirium in patients over age 65 during hospitalization was 10%. Patients who developed delirium during their hospital stay were found to have a higher risk of mortality (p = 0.0028) and severity of illness (p = 0.014). A strong correlation between the length of stay (LOS) and incidence of delirium was also noted.
Conclusion
The strong correlation between a longer LOS and a higher incidence of delirium should guide the development of new innovative strategies to shorten the LOS and thus reduce the risk of delirium, in high-risk older hospitalized patients.
Declaration of financial/other relationships
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.