title: Is delirium being detected in emergency?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report on the use of Delirium Care Pathways to screen for and recognise delirium by Aged Care Services in Emergency Teams (ASETs) at five metropolitan hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Knowledge of delirium and the use of Delirium Care Pathways are vital to ensure that older people presenting with delirium receive best practice care.
  
  
  METHODS
  An audit of 205 randomly selected medical records of clients over 65 years presenting to an ASET was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Delirium was recorded in the medical records notes of four clients (2%). However, the auditors identified another 27 clients with symptoms of delirium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delirium is still frequently undiagnosed and misdiagnosed in older people presenting to emergency departments. This indicates a need for further education and professional development for and by health-care practitioners. Only with greater awareness of delirium will the care and health outcomes of older adults presenting with delirium in acute care settings improve.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Traynor
authors.affiliation: St George and Calvary Hospitals, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cordato
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Pippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: St George and Calvary Hospitals, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Britten
authors.affiliation: St Vincent's Health Network, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Duncan
authors.affiliation: Garrawarra Centre, Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia.|South Eastern Sydney, Local Health District, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: DeVries
authors.affiliation: South East Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McKinnon
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008499:Medical Records; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
keywords: aged care; delirium; emergency