14 Jan Emergency Room Screening for Delirium

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Michael A. LaMantia
Regenstrief Institute, Inc. Investigator and
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?

Dr. LaMantia: We conducted a systematic review of existing studies on delirium in emergency departments and found that neither completely validated delirium screening instruments nor an ideal schedule to perform delirium assessments exist there.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?

Dr. LaMantia: We had hoped that there would be more available information to support the use of a particular delirium screening tool in the emergency department.  Unfortunately, there was limited data to support a choice of one tool.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. LaMantia: Unrecognized delirium presents a major health challenge to older adults and an increased burden on the health care system.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. LaMantia: Further work is needed to develop and validate emergency department-specific screening instruments and to determine how often to administer screenings in the rapid-paced environment.

Citation:

Screening for Delirium in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review

Ann Emerg Med. 2013 Dec 16. pii: S0196-0644(13)01584-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2013.11.010. [Epub ahead of print]

Lamantia MA¹, Messina FC², Hobgood CD³, Miller DK⁴.

Last Updated on January 14, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD