title: Validation of the Greek version of Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Delirium is associated with the most adverse outcomes in critically ill patients but it is often undiagnosed and untreated. The Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) is widely used for delirium assessment. This scale, however, has not been translated and validated into the Greek language. This paper is a report of the translation and validation of the CAM-ICU into Greek.
  
  
  METHODS
  The applicability and validity of CAM-ICU was tested in two Greek general ICUs. Each patient was included in the study only once. Inter-rater reliability and concurrent validity of both raters compared to the gold standard (DSM-IV) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study sample consisted of 71 patients. Based on psychiatric diagnosis the prevalence of delirium was 33.8%. Compared to the reference standard for diagnosing delirium, the two study raters who used the CAM-ICU had sensitivities of 87.5% and 79.0%, specificities of 91.0% and 87.0%, and good inter-rater reliability (κ=0.75). Cronbach's alpha was 0.84 (95% CI 0.77-0.89). The mean CAM-ICU administration time was 6 minutes and 30 seconds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAM-ICU seems to be a valid and reliable instrument for delirium detection in Greek intensive care patients, which can be easily incorporated in every day clinical practice after appropriate training.
authors.affiliation: Research and Academic Institute of Athens, Greece, 27 Themistokleous Street & Akadimias, Athens 106 77, Greece. dimaadamis@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adamis
authors.forename: Chara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dimitriou
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anifantaki
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zachariadis
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Astrinaki
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alegakis
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsiatsiotis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006115:Greece; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence