A Multidisciplinary Delirium Prevention Strategy Involving Psychiatry in the ICU

Delirium affects up to 80% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and is associated with longer hospital stays, increased morbidity and mortality, and increased costs. There is no FDA-approved treatment for delirium; the most effective strategy is prevention by nonpharmacological methods. The investigators propose to study a comprehensive delirium prevention bundle that has been effective against delirium in preliminary studies in elderly in-hospital patients and elderly ICU patients. This delirium prevention bundle includes the novel addition of psychiatrists to daily ICU rounds, as these professionals are specially trained to screen for latent mental illness and provide treatment for these illnesses. The effects of daily psychiatric evaluation of ICU patients has never been systematically studied, as ICU professionals are well-equipped to manage ICU delirium. Psychiatric consultation is reserved for severe and/or refractory cases of delirium. The investigators hypothesize that a multidisciplinary rounding approach including psychiatry within the ICU team will help diagnose psychiatric components that may contribute to delirium at an earlier time point, and thus can reduce the incidence and duration of delirium. The investigators also hypothesize that the proposed multidisciplinary approach will shorten hospital and ICU lengths of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, and decrease in-hospital mortality.