Medwire (2/2, McDermid) reported, “Delirium occurs in about one in five inpatients, but appears to be a low priority with hospital staff,” according to a study published Jan. 7 in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers “assessed the occurrence of delirium across an entire tertiary hospital during a single day, excluding patients in the emergency department, the intensive care unit, and isolation rooms, as well as those who were severely aphasic.” Notably, “the rates of delirium among the 280 patients assessed were 19.6% according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria, 17.6% with the Confusion Assessment Method, and 20.7% with the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98.”
Related Links:
— “Delirium overlooked in hospital patients,”Eleanor McDermid, Medwire News, February 1, 2013.