Melinda R. Steis

Delirium superimposed on dementia is associated with prolonged length of stay and poor outcomes in hospitalized older adults

BACKGROUND Current literature does not identify the significance of underlying cognitive impairment and delirium in older adults during and 30 days following acute care hospitalization. OBJECTIVE Describe the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with incident delirium superimposed on dementia. DESIGN A 24-month prospective cohort study. SETTING Community hospital. PATIENTS A total of 139 older adults (>65 years) with dementia. METHODS This prospective study followed patients daily during hospitalization and 1 month posthospital. Main measures included dementia (Modified Blessed Dementia Rating score, Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly), daily mental status change, dementia stage/severity (Clinical Dementia Rating, Global Deterioration Scale), delirium (Confusion Assessment Method), and delirium severity (Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98). All statistical analysis was performed using SAS 9.3, and significance was an α level of 0.05. Logistic regression, analysis of covariance, or linear regression was performed controlling for age, gender, and dementia stage. RESULTS The overall incidence of new delirium was 32% (44/139). Those with delirium had a 25% short-term mortality rate, increased length of stay, and poorer function at discharge. At 1 month follow-up, subjects with delirium had greater functional decline. Males were more likely to develop delirium, and for every 1 unit increase in dementia severity (Global Deterioration Scale), subjects were 1.5 times more likely to develop delirium. CONCLUSIONS Delirium prolongs hospitalization for persons with dementia. Thus, interventions to increase early detection of delirium have the potential to decrease the severity and duration of delirium and to prevent unnecessary suffering and costs from the complications of delirium and unnecessary readmissions to the hospital.

Screening for Delirium Using Family Caregivers: Convergent Validity of the Family Confusion Assessment Method and Interviewer‐Rated Confusion Assessment Method

To explore agreement between the Family Confusion Assessment Method (FAM‐CAM) for delirium identification and interviewer‐rated CAM delirium ratings.

Delirium superimposed on dementia: accuracy of nurse documentation.

Delirium is an acute, fluctuating confusional state that results in poor outcomes for older adults. Dementia causes a more convoluted course when coexisting with delirium. This study examined 128 days of documentation to describe what nurses document when caring for patients with dementia who experience delirium. Nurses did not document that they recognized delirium. Common descriptive terms included words and phrases indicating fluctuating mental status, lethargy, confusion, negative behavior, delusions, and restlessness. Delirium is a medical emergency. Nurses are in need of education coupled with clinical and decisional support to facilitate recognition and treatment of underlying causes of delirium in individuals with dementia.

Computerized decision support for delirium superimposed on dementia in older adults.

Delirium is common, deadly, and costly in people with dementia. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of the computerized decision support component of an intervention strategy-Early Nurse Detection of Delirium Superimposed on Dementia-designed to improve nurse assessment and detection of delirium superimposed on dementia. This pilot study enrolled and followed 15 individuals with dementia (mean age = 83, mean admission Mini-Mental State Examination score = 14.8) and their caregivers daily for the duration of their hospitalization. Results indicated 100% adherence by nursing staff on the delirium assessment decision support screens and 75% adherence on the management screens. Despite the prevalence and severity of delirium in people with dementia, there are currently no published reports of the use of the electronic medical record in delirium detection and management. Success of this effort may encourage similar use of information technology in other settings.

A Review of Translations and Adaptations of the Mini-Mental State Examination in Languages Other than English and Spanish

This article provides a systematic review of linguistically and culturally adapted versions (translations) of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in languages other than English and Spanish. Adapted versions were found via database search (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts). Source information (where available) is provided for each instrument. To facilitate comparison of the instruments, we developed an assessment framework that provides an organizational structure for the assessment of the quality of translation (linguistic and cultural), psychometric properties, educational considerations, and quality of field testing. The search resulted in 20 articles reporting on 15 language versions of the MMSE.

Pilot study of a nonpharmacological intervention for delirium superimposed on dementia.

Delirium is a common neuropsychiatric syndrome that occurs most frequently in older adults with dementia and is referred to as delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD). Our aim in this pilot project was to demonstrate that implementation of cognitively stimulating activities is clinically feasible and has potential to reduce delirium severity and duration and functional loss in post-acute care settings. We randomized newly admitted participants with DSD to treatment (n = 11) and control (n = 5) conditions and conducted daily blinded assessments of delirium, delirium severity, and functional status for up to 30 days. The control group had a significantly greater decrease in physical function and mental status over time compared with the intervention group. Delirium, severity of delirium, and attention approached significance, and improvement over time favored the intervention group. Although not statistically significant, a difference in mean (7.0 versus 3.27) and median (7.0 versus 3.0) days with delirium was found, with the control group having more days of delirium.

Managing delirium in the acute care setting: a pilot focus group study

BACKGROUND Delirium frequently occurs in hospitalised older adults leading to poor outcomes and frequent adverse events. Proper recognition and management of delirium by acute care nurses can minimise the effects of negative sequelae associated with delirium. AIM This pilot study used focus group methodology to: (i) describe acute care nurses experience and knowledge regarding assessment and management of delirium in hospitalised older adults; (ii) illustrate potential facilitators and barriers to non-drug management of delirium; and (iii) to explicate the use of non-drug interventions by acute care nurses to manage delirium in hospitalised older adults. DESIGN Qualitative, pilot study. METHODS A total of 16 nurse participants, working on medical, surgical and orthopaedic units from one acute care hospital participated in two focus groups. RESULTS Main themes included the following: confusion is normal; our duty is to protect; and finding a balance. Nurses were able to identify non-pharmacological interventions for delirium and facilitators and barriers to using these in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this pilot study illustrate the need for regular assessment of cognitive status in hospitalised older adults and nursing staff education regarding the use of non-pharmacological management of delirium. Based on their experience, nurses have a wealth of ideas for managing delirium. Areas for future research and policy are also highlighted. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE More research is needed on how to improve delirium management by acute care nurses to increase the efficacy and use of non-pharmacological interventions in the management of delirium in hospitalised older adults. To translate these findings into practice, nursing care needs to be guided by evidence-based guidelines to implement non-pharmacological strategies in the acute care setting.

Delirium: A Very Common Problem You May Not Recognize

Older adults with multiple pre-existing conditions are admitted to hospitals with acute illnesses and injuries every day. Delirium is not recognized by clinicians across health care settings. With awareness of risk factors and knowledge of delirium, nurses can play a pivotal role in the early identification, treatment, and, most important, prevention of delirium in older adults. Nurses often display a lack of knowledge related to delirium and the complex symptoms that appear differently in the presence of other complicating co-morbid conditions in aging adults. Nurses play a crucial role in keeping patients safe and ensuring optimal outcomes, regardless of the setting. With the growing population of older adults and the expected increases in chronic illness and dementia, delirium is a problem nurses are likely to experience in all practice settings. Knowing what to look for facilitates recognizing the risk and acting early to minimize (or even prevent) delirium.

Sundown Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature

The label sundown syndrome continues to be frequently used in long-term and acute care settings without consistent meaning. This study adds to the understanding of this label by synthesizing findings from research published since 1987 linked to sundown syndrome. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe, synthesize, and critique the theoretical definitions, operational definitions and measurement methods, prevalence, antecedent and precipitating factors and consequences, and effectiveness of interventions for sundown syndrome found in the published literature. Implications for research and practice are presented.

Measuring agreement between healthcare survey instruments using mutual information

BackgroundHealthcare researchers often use multiple healthcare survey instruments to examine a particular patient symptom. The use of multiple instruments can pose some interesting research questions, such as whether the outcomes produced by the different instruments are in agreement. We tackle this problem using information theory, focusing on mutual information to compare outcomes from multiple healthcare survey instruments.MethodsWe review existing methods of measuring agreement/disagreement between the instruments and suggest a procedure that utilizes mutual information to quantitatively measure the amount of information shared by outcomes from multiple healthcare survey instruments. We also include worked examples to explain the approach.ResultsAs a case study, we employ the suggested procedure to analyze multiple healthcare survey instruments used for detecting delirium superimposed on dementia (DSD) in community-dwelling older adults. In addition, several examples are used to assess the mutual information technique in comparison with other measures, such as odds ratio and Cohen’s kappa.ConclusionsAnalysis of mutual information can be useful in explaining agreement/disagreement between multiple instruments. The suggested approach provides new insights into and potential improvements for the application of healthcare survey instruments.