Intensive care delirium monitoring and standardised treatment: a complete survey of Dutch Intensive Care Units.
OBJECTIVE
Delirium is a frequent and serious problem in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Several international guidelines recommend daily monitoring for ICU-delirium. The purpose of this article is to give an up-to-date overview of the current status of monitoring and treatment of ICU-delirium in the Netherlands.


METHODS
Nation-wide, telephone-based questionnaire survey.


METHODS
Head nurse of all ICUs and a random sample of intensivists.


RESULTS
Only 14% (n=14) of all Dutch ICUs (n=103) monitored for ICU-delirium. Of these, only half (7%) used a tool that is validated in ICU patients. In 31% of Dutch ICUs, a protocol was used to treat ICU-delirium. Responses were obtained from 100% of ICUs.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite an international guideline, not more than 7% of ICUs in our study routinely evaluated the presence of delirium with a validated instrument. Fewer than one-third of Dutch ICUs use a protocol to treat ICU-delirium.
Department of Intensive Care, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Maarten M J
MM
Van Eijk
Jozef
J
Kesecioglu
Arjen J C
AJ
Slooter
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009426:Netherlands; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires