Prevalence and associated factors for delirium in critically ill patients at a Japanese intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of delirium in critically ill patients during an intensive care unit (ICU) stay.


METHODS
We investigated 103 of 172 patients admitted consecutively to a university-based 20-bed ICU in a 3-month period. Six ICU physicians, who were familiar with the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU), assessed patient delirium daily. Patient demographics, diagnosis, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, mechanical ventilation and maximum serum C-reactive protein (max-CRP) level during the ICU stay (max-CRP) were compared between patients who developed delirium and those who did not.


RESULTS
Twenty-one (20%) of 103 patients and 13 (76%) of 17 mechanically ventilated patients developed delirium. APACHE II scores and max-CRP were significantly higher in patients who experienced delirium than in those who did not (P<.001). Use of a mechanical ventilator (P=.002), max-CRP (P=.032) and length of ICU stay (P=.043) were identified as independent associations for delirium development.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of delirium was 20% in ICU patients and 80% in ventilated patients in a Japanese ICU.
Yamaguchi University Hospital, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan. ryosan-ygc@umin.ac.jp
Ryosuke
R
Tsuruta
Takashi
T
Nakahara
Takashi
T
Miyauchi
Satoshi
S
Kutsuna
Yasuaki
Y
Ogino
Takahiro
T
Yamamoto
Tadashi
T
Kaneko
Yoshikatsu
Y
Kawamura
Shunji
S
Kasaoka
Tsuyoshi
T
Maekawa
D018806:APACHE; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003693:Delirium / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007564:Japan; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors
D002097:C-Reactive Protein