New research published in Age and Ageing shows link between delirium and increased mortality

16 March 2022

Older people who experience delirium in hospital are up to 5.5 times more likely to die within 30 days compared to those without delirium, according to a new study published in Age and Ageing today.

The average length of stay was also found to be more than double in older people who experienced delirium compared to those who did not.
 
The study used the 4AT delirium detection tool to analyse relationships between a diagnosis of delirium and patients’ 30-day mortality, length of stay, and number of days spent at home following admission.
 
The test was carried out as part of normal care. Results for older patients were recorded in the patients’ electronic health records over a period of three years at four hospitals in the Greater Manchester and Lothian regions.
 
More than 82,000 emergency admissions from three hospitals were included in the study. It was co-led by Dr Emma Vardy, Chair of the BGS Dementia and Related Disorders Special Interest Group (SIG) and Consultant Geriatrician at Salford Royal Hospital, and Professor Alasdair MacLullich, BGS member and Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Emma Vardy, Consultant Geriatrician at Salford Royal, said:

“This study is really important because it shows that by assessing patients for delirium on admission to hospital, we can predict outcomes. If we always assess for delirium in older people on admission to hospital, we can improve those outcomes and change how we provide care. We have been doing other work across Greater Manchester to see whether we can safely care for selected patients with delirium at home. There is early evidence from other research that this may be better for patients in reducing the harm that delirium can cause.”

Co-lead Alasdair MacLullich, Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said:

“Delirium has historically been a neglected condition with most cases going undetected, leading to poor quality care. This study shows that we can detect delirium in normal practice. This is the first step towards providing better care and improving bad outcomes.”

Read the full article on the Age and Ageing website: Positive scores on the 4AT delirium assessment tool at hospital admission are linked to mortality, length of stay and home time: two-centre study of 82,770 emergency admissions

Watch: Co-lead author Dr Emma Vardy discusses the study

Dr Emma Vardy talks about Positive scores on the 4AT delirium assessment tool at hospital admission are linked to mortality, length of stay and home time: two-centre study of 82,770 emergency admissions.

With thanks to Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and NCA Research.