Brief Delirium Assessments in Non-Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Patients

Delirium is an acute confusional state characterized by fluctuating mental status, inattention, and either disorganized thinking or an altered level of consciousness. This form of organ dysfunction occurs in up to 50% of hospitalized patients and is associated with worsening mortality, prolonged hospital length of stay, higher health care costs, and accelerated functional and cognitive decline. Despite the negative consequences of delirium, the majority of cases are unrecognized by hospital physicians because it is not routinely screened for. In an effort to facilitate delirium screening, we sought to validate two brief delirium assessments (\<2 minutes) in the hospital setting.