title: Misdiagnosed delirium in patient referrals to a university-based hospital psychiatry department.
abstract: The authors examined the factors associated with referral errors in which the presence of delirium was ostensibly not recognized by medical staff personnel. Medical records of 541 university-hospital patients consecutively referred for psychiatric consultation were scrutinized for extant delirium. The data indicated that a greater likelihood of a missed diagnosis was associated with younger age; referrals outside of family practice service; orientation as to person, place, and time; and a history of bipolar affective disorder or psychosis. The ramifications of failure to diagnose existing delirium include increased morbidity and mortality, longer length of hospital stay, and increased healthcare costs.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, MN, USA.
authors: Susan E
authors: SE
authors: Swigart
authors: Yasuhiro
authors: Y
authors: Kishi
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Thurber
authors: Roger G
authors: RG
authors: Kathol
authors: William H
authors: WH
authors: Meller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008511:Medicine; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013038:Specialization; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology