title: Pilot study on the European Portuguese version of the Confusion Assessment Method.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the pilot study on the European Portuguese validation of the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM).
  
  
  METHODS
  The translation process was carried out according to International Society Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research guidelines with trained researchers and inter-rater reliability assessment. The study included 50 elderly patients, admitted (≥24 h) to two intermediate care units. Exclusion criteria were: Glasgow Coma Scale (total score ≤11), blindness/deafness, inability to communicate and not able to speak Portuguese. The sensitivity and specificity of CAM were assessed, with DSM-IV-TR criteria of delirium used as a reference standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings revealed excellent inter-rater reliability (k>0.81), moderate sensitivity (73%) and excellent specificity (95%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary results suggested that this version emerges as a promising diagnostic instrument for delirium.
authors.affiliation: 1Research and Education Unit on Aging,UNIFAI,University of Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: 2Clinic of Psychiatry and Mental Health,CHSJ,Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moldes
authors.affiliation: 3Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine,University of Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pinto-de-Sousa
authors.affiliation: 4UCISU,Intensive Medicine Service,CHSJ,Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Filipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.affiliation: 5Intensive Care and Emergency Autonomous Management Unit, CHSJ. Faculty of Medicine,University of Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: José Artur
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: 6Psychological Assessment Laboratory,CINEICC, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences,University of Coimbra,Portugal.
authors.forename: Mário R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: 7UNIFAI/CINTESIS Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine,University of Porto. Clinic of Psychiatry and Mental Health,CHSJ,Porto,Portugal.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D003221:Confusion / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011174:Portugal; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index