The prognostic significance of delirium in hospitalized elderly
has not yet been fully clarified.ObjectivesThe present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between prevalent
delirium (PrD), incident delirium
(InD) and final outcome.MethodsA historical cohort of 261 patients was selected. delirium
was diagnosed using the Confusion Assessment Method.ResultsThe total frequency of delirium detected was 42.5%-31.4% PrD and 16.2% InD.
Among patients with InD, the average length of hospital stay was 9.1 days
longer than for patients without delirium (p=0.002), and
the hospital mortality associated with InD was 48% versus 2.7% for those
without delirium (p< 0.001). However, no difference was
observed between patients with PrD and those without delirium.ConclusionsThese results suggest that, when investigating delirium and
prognosis amongst hospitalized elderly, it is fundamental to differentiate
in terms of time of onset. Furthermore, the absence of delirium seems to be
an important protective factor.
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