A STUDY OF THE LEVEL OF AGREEMENT OF DELIRIUM ASSESSMENT AND AN IDENTIFICATION OF PREDICTORS FOR DELIRIUM IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Abstract

BACKGROUND: DELIRIUM IS A PSYCHIATRIC SYNDROME AFFECTING CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS ADMITTED TO THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (ICU) AND IS A SIGNIFICANT HEALTHCARE ISSUE. A META-ANALYSIS CONDUCTED SHOWED AGE (PER YEAR), AGE (FOR EVERY TEN YEAR INCREASE), AGE ABOVE/BELOW 65 YEARS OF AGE, APACHE-II SCORE AND A HISTORY OF DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE II WERE SIGNIFICANT PREDICTORS FOR DELIRIUM IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS. THERE ALSO HAS BEEN MUCH DIFFICULTY IN ASSESSING DELIRIUM VIA CLINICAL JUDGEMENT REPORTED, AND THE CONFUSION ASSESSMENT METHOD FOR THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (CAM-ICU) WAS DESIGNED TO SURMOUNT THIS DIFFICULTY. ALTHOUGH ICU NURSES IN THIS CLINICAL SETTING WERE TRAINED IN USING THE CAM-ICU ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL, ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS A LACK OF AGREEMENT IN DELIRIUM ASSESSMENT. AIM OF THE STUDY: THE AIMS OF THIS STUDY WERE TO EXAMINE THE LEVEL OF AGREEMENT OF DELIRIUM ASSESSMENTS AND IDENTIFY THE PREDICTORS FOR DELIRIUM IN THREE INTENSIVE CARE UNITS FROM ONE TEACHING HOSPITAL