Diagnosing Delirium at the Bedside: Which Test Is Best?

Delirium occurs in as many as 60% of older hospitalized patients, with associated mortality rates of 25% to 30%. In addition to early mortality, delirium is associated with longer hospital lengths of stay and complicated hospital admissions — at a cost to Medicare of billions of dollars. Requisite long-term care after hospital discharge also adds costs. However, despite the importance of delirium, clinicians often fail to diagnose it.

Researchers reviewed prospective studies in which the results of at least one delirium bedside instrument (required to be easily administered, even by a nonexpert) were compared with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-based diagnosis made by a geriatrician, psychiatrist, or neurologis…