Acute confusion among hospitalized elders in a rural hospital.
The NEECHAM Confusion Scale was used to study the incidence and severity of acute confusion among elders in a rural community hospital. Thirty-eight patients over the age of 64 were assessed for confusion within 48 hours of admission. The NEECHAM Confusion Scale was readministered to a sub-sample of 17 elders within 24 hours of pending discharge. The incidence of acute confusion was 81.5% at admission with a prevalence of 52.9% at discharge. Staff identified signs of acute confusion in 34.2% of the elders confused upon admission as indicated by the NEECHAM Confusion Scale. These findings have major implications for adult health nursing practice.
Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Greenville, NC, USA.
E J
EJ
Crawley
J
J
Miller
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006760:Hospitalization; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index