Objective: to evaluate the performance of the 4 ‘A’s Test (4AT) in screening for delirium in older patients. The 4AT is a new test for rapid screening of delirium in routine clinical practice.Design: prospective study of consecutively admitted elderly patients with independent 4AT and reference standard assessments.Setting: an acute geriatrics ward and a department of rehabilitation.Participants: two hundred and thirty-six patients (aged ≥70 years) consecutively admitted over a period of 4 months.Measurements: in each centre, the 4AT was administered by a geriatrician to eligible patients within 24 h of admission. Reference standard delirium diagnosis (DSM-IV-TR criteria) was obtained within 30 min by a different geriatrician who was blind to the 4AT score. The presence of dementia was assessed using the Alzheimer's Questionnaire and the informant section of the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. The main outcome measure was the accuracy of the 4AT in diagnosing delirium.Results: patients were 83.9 ± 6.1 years old, and the majority were women (64%). Delirium was detected in 12.3% (n = 29), dementia in 31.2% (n = 74) and a combination of both in 7.2% (n = 17). The 4AT had a sensitivity of 89.7% and specificity 84.1% for delirium. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for delirium diagnosis were 0.93 in the whole population, 0.92 in patients without dementia and 0.89 in patients with dementia.Conclusions: the 4AT is a sensitive and specific method of screening for delirium in hospitalised older people. Its brevity and simplicity support its use in routine clinical practice.

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ObjectiveDelirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) is common in many settings. Nonetheless, little is known about the association between DSD and clinical outcomes. The study aim was to evaluate the association between DSD and related adverse outcomes at discharge from rehabilitation and at 1-year follow-up in older inpatients undergoing rehabilitation.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingHospital rehabilitation unit.ParticipantsA total of 2642 patients aged 65 years or older admitted between January 2002 and December 2006.MeasurementsDementia predating rehabilitation admission was detected by DSM-III-R criteria. Delirium was diagnosed with the DSM-IV-TR. The primary outcome was that of walking dependence (Barthel Index mobility subitem score of <15) captured as a trajectory from discharge to 1-year follow-up. A mixed-effects multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between DSD and outcome, after adjusting for relevant covariates. Secondary outcomes were institutionalization and mortality at 1-year follow-up, and logistic regression models were used to analyze these associations.ResultsThe median age was 77 years (interquartile range: 71–83). The prevalence of DSD was 8%, and the prevalence of delirium and dementia alone were 4% and 22%, respectively. DSD at admission was found to be significantly associated with almost a 15-fold increase in the odds of walking dependence (odds ratio [OR] 15.5; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 5.6–42.7; P < .01). DSD was also significantly associated with a fivefold increase in the risk of institutionalization (OR 5.0; 95% CI 2.8–8.9; P < .01) and an almost twofold increase in the risk of mortality (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1–2.8; P = .01).ConclusionsDSD is a strong predictor of functional dependence, institutionalization, and mortality in older patients admitted to a rehabilitation setting, suggesting that strategies to detect DSD routinely in practice should be developed and DSD should be included in prognostic models of health care.

Objectives Rehospitalizations for elderly patients are an increasing health care burden. Nonetheless, we have limited information on unplanned rehospitalizations and the related risk factors in elderly patients admitted to in-hospital rehabilitation facilities after an acute hospitalization. Setting In-hospital Rehabilitation and Aged Care Unit Design Retrospective cohort study Participants Elderly patients ≥65 years admitted to an in-hospital rehabilitation hospital after an acute hospitalization between January 2004 and June 2011. Measurements The rate of 30-day unplanned rehospitalization to hospitals was recorded. Risk factors for unplanned rehospitalization were evaluated at rehabilitation admission: age, comorbidity, serum albumin, number of drugs, decline in functional status, delirium, Mini Mental State Examination score, length of stay in the acute hospital. A multivariable Cox proportional regression model was used to identify the effect of the above-mentioned risk factors for time to event within the 30-day follow-up. Results Among 2,735 patients, with a median age of 80 years (Interquartile Range 74–85), 98 (4%) were rehospitalized within 30 days. Independent predictors of 30-day unplanned rehospitalization were the use of 7 or more drugs (Hazard Ratio [HR], 3.94; 95% Confidence Interval, 1.62–9.54; P=.002) and a significant decline in functional status (56 points or more at the Barthel Index) compared to the month prior to hospital admission (HR 2.67, 95% CI: 1.35–5.27; P=.005). Additionally, a length of stay in the acute hospital ≥13 days carried a 2 fold higher risk of rehospitalization (HR 2.67, 95% CI: 1.39–5.10); P=.003). Conclusions The rate of unplanned rehospitalization was low in this study. Polypharmacy, a significant worsening of functional status compared to the month prior to acute hospital admission and hospital length of stay are important risk factors.