title: Detection of delirium using the confusion assessment method.
abstract: Delirium in hospitalized elderly patients is a phenomenon requiring a lot of nursing attention. It is also a disorder contributing to poor health outcomes in this population. Because of their 24-hour work schedule, nurses are frequently the first to observe acute changes in patients' mental health status and to initiate early interventions. However, delirium is not always easily identified. Therefore, the goal of this article is to increase nurses' knowledge and awareness of early signs of delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) routinely and systematically.
authors.affiliation: St. Mary's Hospital Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laplante
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Cole
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003221:Confusion; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D009732:Nursing Care; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index