Delirium in Critical Care
Delirium is a common complication of critical illness. It has historically been regarded as an unavoidable and benign side effect of long-term sedation on an intensive care unit (ICU). However in recent years this preconception has been challenged by the publication of studies demonstrating poorer outcomes in ICU patients with delirium.
Delirium is an acute and fluctuating disturbance of consciousness and cognition occurring in up to 80% of the sickest intensive care patients. Critically ill patients are have many risk factors which increase the chance of suffering from delirium. Risk factors include exposure to sedative and analgesic medications,
Patients with delirium have longer hospital stays and lower 6-month survival than do patients without delirium, and preliminary research suggests that delirium may be associated with cognitive impairment that persists months to years after discharge.
Strategies have been identified in an attempt to reduce delirium in the critically ill patient which includes assessment and management.
Delirium is an acute and fluctuating disturbance of consciousness and cognition occurring in up to 80% of the sickest intensive care patients. Critically ill patients are have many risk factors which increase the chance of suffering from delirium. Risk factors include exposure to sedative and analgesic medications,
Patients with delirium have longer hospital stays and lower 6-month survival than do patients without delirium, and preliminary research suggests that delirium may be associated with cognitive impairment that persists months to years after discharge.
Strategies have been identified in an attempt to reduce delirium in the critically ill patient which includes assessment and management.
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CAM ICU
The CAM-ICU (Confusion Assessment Method in the Intensive Care Unit) is an assessment tool that assesses four main features of delirium: Acute onset or fluctuating mental status, inattention, altered level of consciousness and disorganized thought.
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Resources |
Web links |
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This website is packed with resources that will help with delirium assessment and management.
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Protected Sleep Time
Delirium Presentation
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Patients frequently report disturbed sleep as one of the negative experiences of being in hospital. This is especially the case in the highly technical critical care environment, where noise/light levels and interruptions to patients can remain high overnight due to the intensive monitoring and treatment required by severely ill patients. As a consequence much work is being undertaken across critical care units to improve the quality of sleep for patients.
Please take a look at the short video produced by the Lancashire & South Cumbria Critical Care Network which highlights some of the small changes we can make which will have a positive impact on the patients experience.
The delirium presentation covers:
What is Delirium? Why is it important? How do we recognise it? What causes it? How do we prevent it? How do we treat it? | ||||||||