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Delirium in hospitalized patients is associated with higher short- and long-term mortality, cognitive impairment, and disability. To assess the relation between delirium and adverse outcomes in critically ill patients, researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 studies (40 observational and 2 randomized) in which intensive care unit (ICU) patients were evaluated for delirium. Analysis involved 17,000 patients, of whom 5300 (32%) had delirium.
Patients who developed delirium, compared with those who did not, were significantly more likely to die in the hospital (risk ratio, 2.2), spend more time on mechanical ventilation (mean duration, 1.8 days longer), and have longer mean lengths of stay in the ICU (1.4 days longer) …